


OVERTALE: GOOD TIMES

by PastelleNebula



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Female Chara (Undertale), Female Frisk (Undertale), Gen, Mentions of Suicide, Multi, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route, Updates at Least Once a Month
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2019-09-17 03:05:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 65,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16966509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PastelleNebula/pseuds/PastelleNebula
Summary: Frisk has freed monster kind from the Underground after so many runs. She is determined to help all her monster friends settle on the Surface. However, she will need to convince humanity to give her friends a chance. For that, she will need some help...All parts are together in this work!:Part 1: A New Beginning (Prologue and Chapters 1-5)Part 2: Moving Forward (Chapters 6-10)Part 3: Good Times (Chapters 11-??)





	1. Prologue: A Breath of Fresh Air

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware that AUs/Stories like this already exist. This is a separate work that I am writing, with some inspiration taken from what I've seen within the fandom. Let me know if there are any mistakes. I hope you enjoy the story regardless. Thank you!
> 
> Also, the prologue is directly from the ending of the true pacifist route from Undertale. I put it in just so everyone can begin reading the story with the same information as to how the true pacifist route ends. I figured everyone should be on the same page, kinda like a little reminder. °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°

          There is a breeze coming through the barrier, for the first time in so long. After Asriel Dreemurr freed everyone from the barrier, Frisk was ready to return to the surface. However, she was not going to go alone. Frisk made a lot of friends in the underground: Asgore Dreemurr, Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys. She made plenty of other friends too, but they were definitely the ones that Frisk believes made the biggest impact in her life… even if they hadn’t known each other for very long. Asgore and Toriel were anthropomorphic, goat-like monsters, who were very caring. Sans and Papyrus were skeleton brothers, and their interactions with each other were hilarious to Frisk. Undyne was some sort of anthropomorphic fish, and Alphys was probably close to an anthropomorphic horned lizard. Frisk thought they were an adorable couple!

          They all walked out of the barrier and into the open air. They stood on the side of a mountain, and at the edge of the cliff, is the view that Frisk’s friends dreamed of. There was a beautiful sunset, with an ocean gulf glittering as the rays hit its surface. Trees were everywhere down in the valley, and there was another mountain to the left of them that stood majestically in the distance, Frisk recognized it as Mt. Verdelen. On their right were tall city buildings. That was the human city in the distance. Beneath them was several cabins and a nearby village.

          Toriel, who stood next to her along with her other friends, spoke and interrupted her thoughts. Frisk looked over to her friends, who were all gazing in amazement at the view from the cliff they stood upon.

 

TORIEL 

Oh my…

ASGORE 

Isn’t it beautiful, everyone?

ALPHYS 

Wow… It’s e-even better than on TV. WAY better! Better than I ever imagined!

UNDYNE 

Frisk, you LIVE with this?! The sunlight is so nice… and the air is so fresh! I really feel alive!

PAPYRUS 

HEY SANS! WHAT’S THAT GIANT BALL?

SANS 

we call that “the sun,” my friend.

PAPYRUS 

THAT’S THE SUN?! WOWIE! I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M FINALLY MEETING THE SUN!!!

ASGORE 

I could stand here and watch this for hours…

TORIEL 

Yes, it is beautiful, is it not? But we should really think about what comes next.

ASGORE 

Oh, right. Everyone… This is the beginning of a bright new future. An era of peace between humans and monsters. Frisk… I have something to ask of you. Will you act as our ambassador to the humans?

 

          Frisk took a moment to consider the offer. She figured that it was really important that her friends had someone who was human, who knew about monsters in a more personal way, to convince humanity that all monster kind come in peace. After all, she wanted nothing but for all of this to end peacefully.

 

FRISK 

Yes.

PAPYRUS 

YEAH! FRISK WILL BE THE BEST AMBASSADOR! AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS… WILL BE THE BEST MASCOT! I’LL GO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION!

 

          Everyone watched as Papyrus ran off on the trail that leads down the mountain, excitedly.

 

SANS 

welp. someone’s gotta keep him from getting into trouble. see you guys.

 

          Sans gave a little wink at everyone and then immediately walked back to the entrance to the underground. He sat down and leaned against a dead tree, closing his eyes. Frisk just stared at him, realizing that he was going to take a nap. She wasn't too surprised, though.

 

UNDYNE 

Man, do I have to do EVERYTHING? Papyrus, wait!!!

 

          Frisk watched as Undyne ran after Papyrus, eager to stop him before he makes, not a BAD first impression, but rather… a strange one.

 

ALPHYS 

Hey, Undyne!! Wait up!!

 

          Frisk watched as Alphys ran after Undyne, which was probably for the best. Alphys might be able to calm both of Undyne’s and Papyrus’ loud personalities as they introduced themselves to the humans. However… Alphys was pretty shy, so Frisk wasn’t sure if Alphys would be too helpful in that situation after all. An awkward silence fell as Asgore and Toriel were standing next to each other since the other monsters left. The silence broke when Asgore finally spoke.

 

ASGORE 

Whoops.

 

          A brief period of silence fell once again, and Asgore brought himself to speak before it became unbearably awkward again.

 

ASGORE 

Uh, should I do something?

 

Toriel shot him a glare and raised a brow.

 

ASGORE 

Well, gotta go!

 

          Toriel turned and looked down the path to the bottom of the mountain as Asgore quickly walked off to follow the others..

 

TORIEL 

It seems that everyone is quite eager to set off.

 

          Toriel paused, but just for a moment. She then turned to Frisk, and spoke somewhat sadly. This concerned Frisk, and she looked up at her.

 

TORIEL 

Frisk… You came from this world, right…? So you must have a place to return to, do you not? What will you do now?

 

          Frisk spoke confidently.

 

FRISK 

I want to stay with you..

 

          Toriel couldn’t help but blush at the almost immediate answer.

 

TORIEL 

What? Frisk… You really are a funny child. If you had said that earlier, none of this would have happened. It is a good thing you took so long to change your mind. Hee hee hee! Well… I suppose. If you really do not have any other place to go… I will do my best to take care of you, for as long as you need. Alright? Now come along.

 

          Toriel took Frisk’s hand gently with her paw and they turned to the path down the mountain.

 

TORIEL 

Everyone is waiting for us!

 

          They walked down the path, together, eager to start a new chapter of their lives.

 


	2. Chapter 1: Genie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once a month, I will post a chapter. I will also let you all know if I went back and edited previous chapters. Thank you for reading.

          Frisk tugged on Toriel’s sleeve and pointed at Sans, who was still leaning against the tree, sitting down. He was most definitely napping. Truth be told, they all needed a nap. The battles they endured took a lot out of them all. Frisk waited patiently as Toriel quickly went and picked Sans up, cradling him in her arms. They continued down the mountain. Toriel realized that everyone was quite far away, and so she gently picked up Frisk and carried both her and Sans down the mountain, running. Frisk was pretty surprised that Toriel was so strong, but then again, Sans and Frisk’s weight weren’t probably a big issue. Once they caught up to the others, Frisk noticed that they were all looking a bit tired. Frisk knew that they at least needed to rest for a bit before heading to the city. She tugged on Toriel’s sleeve again to get her attention.

 

FRISK 

We need to rest before meeting the humans.

TORIEL 

Oh? Do you know of a place we can go, my child?

FRISK 

I’ll lead the way!

 

          Toriel put her down and Frisk started walking down the mountain with everyone behind her. She was relieved that the barrier exited on the same side of the mountain as her human friend lived. Frisk smiled as Papyrus ran around, pointing and picking things up, asking all sorts of questions.

 

PAPYRUS 

WHAT IS THIS, FRISK? IT’S BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

Papyrus held up a dragonfly that landed on his red glove, and Frisk giggled in amusement. There were plenty of monsters in the underground that resembled bugs and insects, but seeing a dragonfly was new to Papyrus, and everyone else.

 

FRISK 

That’s a dragonfly!

PAPYRUS 

WHAT AN INTERESTING CREATURE WITH AN EQUALLY INTERESTING NAME! DON’T TELL MY BROTHER, THOUGH… HE MAY COME UP WITH A WAY TO TURN IT INTO A PUN OF SOME KIND.

 

          Frisk nodded and then giggled again as Papyrus watched the dragonfly fly off his glove in amazement. She knew Papyrus was going to love it on the surface. They continued walking, and Frisk looked back towards Undyne and Alphys, who were a little ways away. She didn’t want to interrupt them, since they practically just got together. She watched as Undyne set a flower in between Alphys’ spikes on the back of her head. The reaction from Alphys was so adorable, and Frisk was very happy for them. Sans was napping peacefully in Toriel’s arms, and it didn’t seem to bother her very much. However, Frisk can tell that Asgore’s presence _was_ bothering her, and that was concerning. She looked over at Asgore, who seemed uneasy due to the awkward atmosphere. Asgore noticed her staring at him, and offered a kind, though somewhat sad, smile. Frisk offered a smile back and held his hand, reassuring him that things will turn out okay.

          Eventually, they came to a clearing in the path. They were still on the side of the mountain, but they were in between a break in the trees. They looked out to the land before them, as they did a couple hours ago. Everything looked much different. It was pretty dark besides the stationary fireballs that Asgore and Toriel were each holding in one of their hands. There was also flickering lights in the distance. It was the human city and the cabins that laid on the valley below them. However, there was a light that was closer, just below them on another part of the path they were taking. Frisk squinted and gasped, realizing that it belonged to the house of a friend of hers! She smiled excitingly when she saw some smoke wafting out of the chimney. Her friend was home, and was probably having dinner. Frisk’s stomach grumbled.

 

ALPHYS 

O-Oh! Frisk… are you h-hungry?

PAPYRUS 

OH! I FORGOT TO BRING SPAGHETTI! I HAD SOME LEFTOVERS I COULD HAVE BROUGHT FOR ALL OF US...

 

          Frisk smiled and and shook her head.

 

FRISK 

I’ve got another idea!

 

          She pointed down at the cabin below them.

 

UNDYNE 

Who’s house is that? Is that a friend’s house or something?

 

          Frisk nodded.

 

ASGORE 

Ah, but… we shouldn’t bother them so suddenly.. They may be busy.

TORIEL 

But we _do_  need a place to stay for the night...

 

          Toriel put her paw on her hips, still carrying a sleeping Sans in the other arm. Asgore looked away uncomfortably due to Toriel’s stern voice.

 

FRISK 

It’s okay! She loves company.

UNDYNE 

Doesn’t she… hate monsters?

FRISK 

She’s never met one before. Plus, she's never told me anything bad about them...

TORIEL 

Then let us go meet this human, and make her first encounter with monsterkind a good one!

PAPYRUS 

AH, YES! LET US GO MEET THE HUMAN SO THAT SHE MAY BASK IN THE GLORIOUS PRESENCE THAT IS THE GREAT PAPYRUS… AND HIS FRIENDS!

 

         After a few chuckles from everyone, they walked down to the cabin. The lights were on, and there were freshly made tire tracks. Frisk figured that her human friend had someone come over. She always did have that one friend come by to help gather and drop off supplies since she was so secluded. Frisk motioned everyone to stay put, and walked up to the door. She gave a couple knocks, that were at the tune of a particular rhythm. This was to let her human friend know that it was her that was at the door. This was important, because her human friend was… well…

 

??? 

FRISK?!

 

          Rapid footsteps were coupled with the sound of something dragging across the floor, approached the door. The door opened, and there she was… Frisk’s human friend. She had rose-gold colored hair that had tight curls, a golden-brown skin tone, and her eyes… well… she didn’t have any. When she would open her eyelids slightly, you would only see dark, empty sockets. She was wearing a long, silk robe, and had her hair wrapped in a towel with some of the tight curls peaking out in some places. She was also carrying a white cane. Frisk’s human friend was permanently blind since the day she was born. Frisk gently held her hand.

 

FRISK 

Genie…!

 

          Everyone else watched as the human, who’s name was apparently, “Genie,” drop the cane that she was holding and fall to her knees. She hugged Frisk tightly, her shoulders were shaking a bit as she wept happily. Toriel looked on, confused and concerned as she thought to herself.

 

_TORIEL_

_This seemed to be a great place for Frisk to live in. Frisk seems very loved here, and yet… she wants to stay with me instead? I was under the impression that Frisk did not have have a place to stay. Also, judging by this human’s reaction... Did something happen to cause Frisk to run off on the mountain and eventually fall into the Underground?_

 

         These questions were important to Toriel, and she needed the answers as soon as possible. Though, she will wait. It would be rude to not at least provide an introduction to the human.

 

TORIEL 

Frisk… would you like to help introduce us to your friend-...?

GENIE 

AH! WHAT?! YOU BROUGHT FRIENDS OVER?!

 

          A dark blush flushed across Genie’s cheeks at the realization that she wasn’t properly dressed for guests. Frisk took notice of the soft, purple gradient of light that radiated out from the back of her sockets. Genie quickly stood up and quickly closed the part of the robe on her chest more. Though nothing was showing, Genie couldn’t see, so she was afraid that she may have shown more of her body than she was willing to show. She didn’t realize that her outburst woke Sans up slightly from his nap.

 

GENIE 

I-I’M SO SORRY..! I-I’m not dressed to have g-guests! U-Uh… F-Frisk, could you help me pick out some suitable clothes to wear?

FRISK 

Yeah, I can help you!

GENIE 

In the meantime.. I suppose you all can come inside and make yourselves at home. I-I’ll be right back with Frisk in just a moment!

ASGORE 

Ah, yes, do not worry. Take all the time you need… We apologize for coming so late and unexpectedly. We will explain ourselves once you and Frisk come back.

 

          Genie nodded and allowed them to come into her cabin. Almost everything was made from the trees in the surrounding forest, except the purple sofa and chair cushions. The chimney was made of stone slabs, and a gentle fire was crackling inside. There were a few photos that decorated the shelf of the chimney. Stairs at the back left corner of the house led to the second floor.  Next to the stairs, on the opposite side of the room, was the open kitchen. Everything in it was also wooden, except the kitchen appliances and a beige cloth that was laid onto the kitchen table. The most beautiful part of the house, though, were the lavender flowers that were absolutely everywhere. They were all in pots, sitting on every conceivable surface possible. They were sitting on the shelf that was above the chimney, above the door and windows, on almost every table and end table… they were everywhere. The house smelled very nice because of all those flowers.

 

GENIE 

You’re lucky.. My friend, Henna, came by today and just finished cleaning my home.. She also made dinner, so there are some leftovers, but not much! You’re welcome to use my kitchen, though! I have all sorts of food in my pantry. Frisk and I will be right back, and then we can talk..! Come on, Frisk, help me up the stairs…

 

          Frisk nodded and held her hand, they went up the stairs carefully and slowly. Although Genie had practically memorized every inch of her home, going up the stairs alone was still pretty nerve-wracking. Once they were gone, the rest of the group settled in the living room. Toriel put Sans down on the couch and sat next to him. He rubbed his sockets as he was finally starting to really wake up. Papyrus went into Genie’s kitchen and looked around until he found her pantry. He put a pile of snacks on the coffee table. Undyne pulled out a chair for herself and Alphys, and Asgore sat in his own chair. Everyone got some snacks off the coffee table and ate as they conversed with each other.

 

SANS 

so, uh… anyone wanna fill me in on what’s goin’ on?

TORIEL 

… Well, we needed a place to stay for the night. Frisk took us here and now we’re in her human friend’s home… Her name is Genie, and she seems very kind to invite us into her home.

UNDYNE 

Yeah, but she doesn’t know we’re monsters! She can’t see us! She literally doesn’t have EYES! She probably thinks we’re Frisk’s HUMAN friends.

ALPHYS 

Yes, w-well.. I’m sure when we tell her that w-we’re… monsters… it won’t be a p-problem! At least… a-according to Frisk.

UNDYNE 

Well, I say if she even THINKS of attacking us, then we should defend ourselves. I won’t go easy on her just because she’s a human who just happens to be blind!

PAPYRUS 

WORRY NOT, UNDYNE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL HANDLE THE SITUATION SO THAT NO ONE GETS HURT! NYEH-HEH-HEH!

 

          Asgore let out a chuckle in amusement.

 

ASGORE 

Yes, Papyrus… we are counting on you for that.

SANS 

yeah, bro, you’re the greatest, so i’m sure you can handle it.

 

          Sans looked down at his bag of chips that he was given and narrowed his eye sockets a bit, thinking to himself.

 

_SANS_

_shouldn’t i be in snowdin by now? is this what happens when the kid doesn’t reset in the end?  what happens now? what is frisk thinking? is she finally done resetting or... is it something else?_

 

          Papyrus’ loud voice interrupted his thoughts.

 

PAPYRUS 

BROTHER? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?

 

          Sans looked up and saw everyone staring at him. He hadn't realized that he looked so suspicious as he thought to himself. He looked at the coffee table and noticed that there was a cat that climbed up onto it to inspect a closed bag of powdered donuts and grinned.

 

SANS 

oh, uh… yeah, bro. in fact…

 

          Papyrus squinted his eye sockets at Sans.

 

SANS 

i’m... FELINE good. you DONUT need to take it so seriously.

 

          Sans pointed his finger guns at Papyrus. Papyrus groaned while Toriel let out a few giggles. Sans wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was definitely going to keep an eye socket on this new part of the timeline. It’ll be a lot of work, which Sans wasn’t particularly happy about, but… he can’t just ignore what's happening right now. Meanwhile, upstairs, Frisk was waiting outside the closet door, handing Genie each clothing item at a time. She handed her a long, flower-patterned dress and waited for her to come out. Once she did, she put some nicely decorated sandals on the floor for her to wear. Genie put on her sandals, and then they walked downstairs carefully. Genie could feel that it was a bit tense. She wasn’t sure why, though.

 

GENIE 

Frisk, is everyone sitting down?

FRISK 

Mhm!

GENIE 

Think you can find a place for you and I to sit?

FRISK 

Yeah!

 

         After a few moments of searching around, Frisk pulled out some big, fluffy, pink bean bag seats. She helps Genie sit down in one while Frisk sits down in the other one beside her.

 

GENIE 

Uh… so… how do you all know Frisk, and how did you find her? I mean… she’s been missing for two whole days… And with the reputation surrounding Mount Ebott, I have to admit that I was getting really worried.

TORIEL 

W… Well… it all began when she fell down to the Underground's Ruins...

 

          Toriel and the others all explained Frisk’s adventure, with Frisk chiming in once and a while to fill in the parts that the others weren’t aware of completely. Genie was in total disbelief of what Frisk had gone through… She also couldn’t believe that monsters were sitting in her home. She was thankful that she was so far away from the rest of the village, because she was sure these monsters would’ve been met with an unfriendly welcome had they arrived there instead. Once they finished telling the entire story of what happened, Genie stayed silent for a while. She tried processing everything, but it was so much. She started tearing up.

 

UNDYNE 

Wh-Whoa… you okay, Genie?

ALPHYS 

O-Oh no! We didn’t m-mean to u-upset you!!!

GENIE 

N-No… I’m not upset.

 

          Genie wiped her tears away with her hands

 

GENIE 

I’m just relieved… she’s been gone for almost two days…

TORIEL 

Did she run away?

GENIE 

Well.. yes and no. Frisk was having a lot of trouble with bullying at her school. Her parents weren’t very good to her either. She was in a foster home at the time, but was the only child in her foster family. Needless to say, she was really struggling…

FRISK 

It wasn’t all bad…

GENIE 

What do you mean?

FRISK 

Seeing you was fun!

GENIE 

Haha, yeah.. Frisk came over here almost every day and would stay for hours. Anyways, two days ago, she left me a note that told me she was just going for a walk to clear her head after some bullies harassed her at school. Didn’t see her after that, and I was getting so concerned for her safety.

 

          Genie smiled.

 

GENIE 

I’m glad that this adventure she had with you all helped her. I-I’m so… relieved. Thank you so much for taking care of her and supporting her like this!

PAPYRUS 

FRISK IS OUR GOOD FRIEND, SO OF COURSE WE WOULD SUPPORT HER AND TAKE CARE OF HER!

 

          Genie smiled so happily as she wiped away her tears. She reached over and when she found the top of Frisk’s head she patted it gently. She was so proud of Frisk.

 

TORIEL 

I’m… assuming you would like to take care of her? Frisk told me she wanted to stay with me, but…

GENIE 

O-Oh no, if Frisk wants to be with you then she should! Besides, considering the fantastic job you’ve done so far with her, I’m pretty sure she’d be just fine with you. I’m not exactly in any sort of position to take care of a child. Even when Frisk and I became close, she only visited.

TORIEL 

I understand, and thank you for being understanding as well.

GENIE 

You’re very welcome! I’m assuming you all need a place to stay, right?

ASGORE 

Do you know of a place we can spend the night?

GENIE 

Hm… well… You can stay here, if you want! I have a guest bedroom upstairs, and the couch can fold out to make a bed. I’m pretty sure I also have some inflatable beds. Frisk can sleep with me, since we’re used to that already!

ASGORE 

Wait, are you sure that it’s not a bother that we sleep here?

GENIE 

I’m sure, since you guys are in need! If Frisk trusts you, then so do I.

 

          Genie turned to Frisk.

 

GENIE 

Frisk, do you think you can go get the inflatable beds from the closet in the guest bedroom? Take some people who want to sleep on them with you, and bring the people who want to sleep in the bed of the guest room too. I will help the rest get settled on the pullout.

FRISK 

Okay!

 

          Genie was relieved that her judgments about monsters were basically correct. Although what people said about monsters in general did make her nervous, she was confident that not every single one of them was dangerous and unkind. She wasn't the only one who thought this, but no one dared speak those favorable opinions about monsters.

          Everyone discussed among themselves as to who was going to sleep where. Toriel decided that she was going to sleep in Genie's room on an inflatable bed while Frisk and Genie slept in Genie’s bed. Frisk always liked to bunk with Genie, since Frisk felt like it was a sleepover with a big sister. It was a great comfort for the both of them. Asgore was going to sleep in Genie’s sun-room that lead straight to her backyard. Undyne and Alphys decided to sleep in the guest room together, which resulted in Alphys becoming a blushing mess. Genie didn’t need to see her reaction to know that she probably looked adorable. Sans and Papyrus didn’t mind sleeping on the pullout bed. Once Frisk lead the others away to go set up their sleeping arrangements, she clapped her hands together.

 

GENIE 

Alrighty! So… Sans and Papyrus, right?

SANS 

you got it, genie.

GENIE 

Oh, good. So, to open the pullout, you just need to remove the cushions from the couch. You can put the cushions behind the couch so that they’re not in the way. Then you just grab the metal frame inside and pull it up and out. It should already have a mattress, some blankets, and two pillows!

 

          Sans sat in a chair that was closer to Genie while Papyrus got the pullout ready.

 

SANS 

So… ya look a little tired.

 

          Genie jumped a bit, not expecting Sans to be next to her.

 

GENIE 

Oh! Uhm…

 

          Genie turned to her left so that she faced towards Sans’ voice.

 

GENIE 

I seem tired?

SANS 

yep.

GENIE 

Sorry, it was that obvious, huh?

SANS 

yep.

GENIE 

Ah, I apologize. I went to sleep late, in the afternoon. So my sleep clock.. Whatever you call it, is out of whack.

SANS 

really?

GENIE 

Yeah… it was weird because I swore I didn’t dream of anything. I probably just don’t remember.

SANS 

you dreamt of nothing?

GENIE 

I don’t know, maybe? I just feel like I didn’t dream at all. My dreams basically consist of sounds, and it was just silence from what I can remember. It gets even weirder because I honestly feel like I slept for longer than I should have.

SANS 

weird.

GENIE 

Yeah...

SANS 

well, thanks for letting us stay here for the night.

GENIE 

Oh, no problem…! I don’t mind at all.

 

          Sans fell silent, thinking to himself.

 

_SANS_

_she feels like she's been sleeping for a long time... meanwhile i feel like i haven't slept normally in ages after every reset… she must have been asleep during the first reset, and since the kid would reset at the same time of day every time... genie must have never got the opportunity to actually wake up? No... maybe it's-_

GENIE 

Sans? Are you okay?

 

          Sans quickly looked up at Genie, and she had a look of concern on her face.

 

SANS

heh… i’m fine.. was just thinkin’... plus i’m pretty… _egg_ sauhsted myself!

 

          Genie couldn’t help but snort at the pun, and Sans said it loud enough for his brother to hear. Papyrus let out a loud groan of annoyance. A bit of silence passed between them.

 

GENIE

Sans, are you sure?

SANS

…. yeah, don’t worry about i-...

 

          Genie and Sans’ attention were pulled away when Papyrus let out a triumphant laugh.

 

PAPYRUS

NYEH-HEH-HEH!!! GENIE! IT IS DONE!

GENIE

Oh! Good, Papyrus! I’m going to... go upstairs and help the others.

PAPYRUS

WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO HELP YOU? I DO NOT THINK I CAN FURTHER TOLERATE ANY MORE OF THOSE PUNS FROM MY BROTHER!

GENIE

Haha!! Yes, that would be very sweet of you, Papyrus…! Thanks. See ya, Sans...

 

          Sans watched as they both made it up the stairs to help the others. He sighed and took off his blue hoodie and pink slippers and shoved them under the bed and out of the way. He got into the pullout bed and just stared up at the ceiling.

 

_SANS_

_I have a feelin' that tomorrow is gonna be a long day._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I will allow any sort of work that is inspired by this story! It can be anything like a fic, fanart, or even a comic. Just ask me for permission! I would love to hear about it and/or help you out if you need it!


	3. Chapter 2: A Good Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet a new friend, Genie goes on a walk with Sans and Papyrus, and Toriel shares a heart to heart with that new friend! There's also a bit of talk about souls...

          The next morning, Genie was the first person to wake up. After grabbing her cane, she made her way downstairs, still in her kitten-themed pajamas. Once she was downstairs, she went outside and waited for her friend Henna to come over. She was so thankful for her. Henna was a childhood friend of Genie’s, and was her only real best friend. Some people believed that it would be too difficult to be friends with someone who was blind. Henna does have to help Genie with more things than she does with her other friends, so there was some truth to be held in that way of thinking. However, Henna never complained at all. Henna wouldn’t continue her day until she made sure that not only was Genie taken care of, but also that she had fun and enjoyed their day together. Henna also introduced Genie to her own group of friends, which helped expand Genie’s world even more.

          Genie smiled happily when she heard a car pull up. She got up when she heard the two, soft beeps of the car horn, which indicated that it was indeed Henna that arrived. Henna got out of the car eagerly. She had her straight, black hair tied into a ponytail that ended just above her shoulders. Her skin was a warm, cinnamon color. Henna's deep green eyes glittered with excitement. She was wearing ripped, light blue shorts with a blue tank-top. Her white sneakers were kicking up dust while she dashed towards Genie.

 

HENNA 

GENIE~! OH MY GOD, GIRL, GUESS WHAT!!!

GENIE 

SHHH! I have guests sleeping…!

 

          Henna stopped walking instantly and widened her eyes in disbelief. The only guests that would stay over would be Henna herself or Frisk.

 

HENNA 

... Wh-What!?

GENIE 

Frisk came back yesterday night, and my guests are her friends who-… err.. You are probably going to want to sit down for this…

 

          Genie and Henna sat down on the stairs of the front porch. Genie proceeded to explain everything that happened, from the moment Frisk fell to the Underground up until last night. After the explanation, there was a brief moment of silence between the two.

 

HENNA 

.... This is kinda crazy. You’ve got MONSTERS sleeping in your house. They haven’t hurt you, have they?

GENIE 

Oh, no.. not at all. They’re really fun to be with! They might be monsters, but they aren’t anything like the rumors surrounding them.

HENNA 

Well, at least they’re being nice to you... How’s Frisk?

GENIE 

She looks pretty happy! So, what did you wanna tell me?

HENNA 

I’m getting married!!!

GENIE 

Congratulations! Finally! Pete has waited long enough, yeah? It’s been THREE YEARS, and you guys are practically already married since you two are living together. Besides that, it didn’t take you two long to hop into bed together-...!

HENNA 

WHA-...!

 

Henna punched Genie’s shoulder as they both laughed.

 

HENNA 

Anyways, what do these monsters look like? Are there, like… different types or-..?

 

          Genie and Henna turned their heads towards the door in surprise when it opened suddenly. Henna’s lower jaw dropped when she saw a grinning, tall skeleton in front of her.

 

PAPYRUS 

OH, HELLO! WHO IS THIS OTHER HUMAN, GENIE?

GENIE 

Oh, this is my friend, Henna! The one I told you all about!

PAPYRUS 

AH, YES, I REMEMBER! IT IS A VERY GOOD MORNING, DON’T YOU THINK?

GENIE 

Yeah, it sure is! Is everyone else still asleep?

PAPYRUS 

MY BROTHER IS ALSO AWAKE, AND TORIEL IS MAKING BREAKFAST WITH FRISK. SANS AND I WILL BE GOING ON PATROL!

GENIE 

P.. Patrol?

PAPYRUS 

YES! WE WOULD PATROL UNDERGROUND IN OUR HOMETOWN OF SNOWDIN FOR HUMANS! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DECIDED THAT WE MUST PATROL THE SURROUNDING AREA FOR DANGER, AS A WAY OF THANKING YOU FOR LETTING US STAY IN YOUR LOVELY HOME!

GENIE 

Oh, Papyrus… you and Sans don’t need to do that. I’m pretty much alone out here, and-...!

PAPYRUS 

AS UNDYNE HAS TOLD ME MANY TIMES… DANGER CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE!

 

          Genie smiled and giggled a bit. She knew she wasn’t gonna get through to Papyrus, since it seems he was being stubborn on the matter. His kind gesture was appreciated, though. Sans walked out, very tired. Henna was still looking at the skeleton brothers in a mixture of curiosity and shock.

 

HENNA 

S… Skeletons?

GENIE 

Oh, these two are brothers. The one with that happy, loud voice is Papyrus! The other that has that deep, chill voice is Sans. Sans, this is my friend Henna!

SANS

it's nice to meet ya.

PAPYRUS 

IT _IS_ VERY NICE TO MEET YOU, HENNA! I CAN SEE YOU ARE IN A STATE OF AWE. OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT WORRY NOT! I WILL NOT HARM YOU!

SANS 

heh... yeah, my awesome bro wont lay a finger on ya. hey, genie… you can come with us if ya want... maybe you can give us some company, so that way we don't feel so bonely since it'd be just us.

PAPYRUS 

AH, BUT IT MAY BE TOO DANGEROUS FOR GENIE… TO….

 

          Sans grinned at his brother, while the other glared back at him. Sans shrugged and looked to the side.

 

SANS 

what, bro?

PAPYRUS 

IT'S TOO EARLY FOR YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS-...!

GENIE 

Uhh...! I wouldn’t mind joining you two! Besides, I would have THE GREAT PAPYRUS and his brother, the magnificent Sans, to protect me if it does get dangerous!

SANS 

the magnificent sans, huh? heh... that's hilarious.

PAPYRUS 

HMM… WELL, I AM PRETTY GREAT. I AM ESPECIALLY GREAT AT PROTECTING HUMANS FROM DANGER! SO, I WILL ALLOW YOU TO ACCOMPANY US. WE WILL BE YOUR BODYGUARDS!

GENIE 

Aw, thanks you two. Henna, could you tell the others that I’m going for a walk? I want everyone else to know where I am, since Frisk will probably get worried. I’m not that hungry right now, so I’ll eat when I get back.

HENNA 

Sure… Um... be safe out there you three…!

GENIE 

We will!

PAPYRUS 

COME ON, BROTHER!!! WE’RE LEAVING!!!

 

          Sans put his hood up, and put his hands in his jacket pockets. Genie grabbed her cane that was resting against the guard rails of the stairs that lead up to her front porch. They walked down the path that leads to the bottom of the mountain. Papyrus was confidently marching ahead of Genie and Sans, taking this, “patrol,” very seriously. A pleasant, cool breeze wafted through the trees.

 

GENIE

So… are there more monsters?

SANS

yeah, a lot more. king asgore is probably gonna try to find a safe place for us before gettin' everyone out at once.

GENIE

That’s probably a good idea. In fact, I know a good place. There’s a huge meadow not too far from here that you guys can go to set up camp or something! It would be temporary.. Hm.. or maybe permanently if Asgore liked it enough.

 

          Sans shrugged.

 

SANS

maybe.

GENIE

… Honestly, Sans… I may be blind, but that doesn’t mean I can’t notice when someone isn’t feeling good.

 

          Sans shrugged again and responded with silence. Genie sighed.

 

GENIE

Tell me what’s bothering you. If you’re afraid of someone hearing us, your brother is too far away to hear us talking.

 

          Sans started to ponder about what to say back.

 

_SANS_

_what’s the point of talkin' about it? if the kid resets then tellin' genie would be a waste of time. then again, the kid seems pretty set on not resettin'. genie's pretty much outside this whole situation, so maybe she'll have better input on it all? plus, keepin' all this to myself after so long... after so many resets..._

 

          Sans sighed heavily.

 

SANS

we can talk later.

GENIE

Well… O-Okay...

PAPYRUS

GENIE!!! WHAT IS THIS PLACE?

 

          Sans and Genie walked over to Papyrus, who was stopped at the entrance to a clearing. Sans looked out, and there it was. It was undoubtedly the large meadow that Genie was talking about. It was filled with wildflowers. Since it was on the side of the mountain, it had several layers, almost like steps, and the edges that hung off the mountain formed magnificent cliffs. You could see the entire valley from there.

 

PAPYRUS

IT’S… BEAUTIFUL!

GENIE

It is! It certainly smells very sweet, and the breeze feels so nice! This would be a pretty nice place for you guys to set up a camp for monsters in the Underground!

SANS

yeah, we should probably tell asgore.

PAPYRUS

YES! LET’S TELL THE KING WHEN WE GET BACK!

 

          Genie, Papyrus, and Sans walked out onto the meadow. It was very breezy and smelled very fragrant. Papyrus and Sans were impressed with the variety of colors in the flowers.

 

PAPYRUS

EVEN THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS NEVER SEEN SO MANY COLORS AT ONCE!

GENIE

Is it beautiful?

PAPYRUS

YES!

GENIE

Ah, that sounds wonderful... I wish I could see it.

PAPYRUS

I HAVE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT THAT…

GENIE

Oh? Well, you can ask whatever you’d like about my... blindness.

PAPYRUS

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING?

GENIE

Huh… I’ve been asked that before but it’s always hard to explain… let’s see... try to see the back of your head right now.

SANS

the back of our heads?

GENIE

Yep. You can’t see it right? No matter how hard you try, you can’t see the back of your head. It’s outside of your vision, and so you can’t see it. You, “see,” nothing. I don’t have vision, so that, “nothingness,” you, “see,” when you try to look at the back of your head is what I, “see.” That is what it’s like to have my condition, to be completely blind.

SANS

seems pretty confusing.

GENIE

Haha, it does sound pretty confusing, doesn’t it? I was born with it, though, so it doesn’t bother me! My blindness does make things harder, but I don’t let it stop me from enjoying my life.

PAPYRUS

YOU SEEM VERY DETERMINED!

GENIE

Determined? Hm… I think it has more to do with my soul’s trait, perseverance. Determination is more like… the STATE of being determined. Perseverance is continuing to your goals despite it being difficult to achieve those goals. You adapt to the events that make it difficult. My parents would always tell me how I had so much perseverance.

PAPYRUS

WHERE ARE THEY? YOUR PARENTS...

GENIE

Ah, well… that’s definitely a story for later! We’ve been out for a while, I think that it’s time for us to get back. I’m starting to get hungry.

PAPYRUS

YES, WE SHOULD GET BACK. WE MUST TELL ASGORE ABOUT THIS PLACE!

GENIE

I’m sure he’d love to hear about it!

 

          They start making their way back to Genie's cabin. Sans looked at Genie curiously, noticing that she quickly avoided the question about her parents. Her face was now so stoic, and he could tell that the question wasn’t one she liked being asked. Sans understood her reaction. Sometimes Papyrus can be too curious for his own good. However, Sans couldn’t help but feel that it’s a subject she’s been continuously avoiding. After all, he knew exactly how she feels when it comes to that sort of thing.

 

SANS

you doing good, genie?

GENIE

H-Huh? Oh… well… h-hm…

SANS

we’ll talk later?

GENIE

Yeah… we’ll… we’ll talk about it later.

 

          After some time walking, Genie, Sans, and Papyrus finally got to the cabin and went inside. The scent of freshly made breakfast hit the three of them at once. Since Genie’s kitchen table had only four chairs, everyone was mostly sitting together in the living room. It smelled like cinnamon and butterscotch, which were probably leftovers from Genie’s previous baking experiments with Henna. The house seemed very lively, and Genie couldn’t help but feel so happy as she heard laughing and talking going throughout her house. She was usually alone most of the time, unless Frisk and Henna were visiting. So to hear all this commotion in her home made her feel a little less lonely. Henna was sitting with Alphys and Undyne on the carpet, eagerly telling them what a human wedding was like. Asgore was sitting on a chair alone, but was listening to Henna intently. Toriel and Frisk were sitting on the couch. Everyone noticed them once Papyrus closed the door.

 

TORIEL

Oh, welcome back! There are three plates of breakfast that I prepared for you waiting on the kitchen table!

GENIE

Thank you, Toriel!

SANS

yeah, thanks, tori.

PAPYRUS

AH, YES! FRISK LOVES YOUR COOKING, SO I AM SURE IT WILL BE DELICIOUS!

UNDYNE

PAPYRUS! REPORT!

 

          Papyrus straightened his back and puffed his chest up, he stood tall and stiff.

 

PAPYRUS

NO DANGER TO REPORT! HOWEVER, GENIE SHOWED US A LARGE, OPEN SPACE THAT WOULD BE PERFECT TO SET UP THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR NEW, NEW HOME!

UNDYNE

Whoa, really?

GENIE

Yeah! It formed when a bunch of soft soil shifted and turned into a mudslide a very long time ago. It revealed these huge layers of flat rock that stick out, like cliffs! Wildflowers and grasses are now growing there, so it turned into this beautiful meadow!

ASGORE

Hmm, that does sound like a good place to set up our camp, for the time being. Once we can set a good relationship with the humans, they will allow us to stay closer to them on the ground. I have a feeling that we need to take small steps with something like this.

GENIE

That’s a good idea. Not every human is going to be excited when they find out the barrier to the Underground was broken.

ALPHYS

Y-Yes that is a good idea, King Asgore..!

UNDYNE

Wait, but why do we have to have THEIR permission to stay where we want on the surface?! Monsters used to live here with no problems until the war happened!

ASGORE

Unfortunately, we have been absent for a very long time. I suspect that human influence and presence is more pronounced here than before. Therefore, this is all their land. We must keep the peace. We cannot cause more tension.

UNDYNE

Whatever… It still sucks.

ALPHYS

O-Oh, Undyne…

 

         Genie sighed, she couldn’t imagine how distressing it was to have to ask for permission to take back a piece of land that was once yours to begin with. She wasn’t sure of what to say, but she spoke some words of encouragement that crept into her mind.

 

GENIE

Undyne, was it?

UNDYNE

Yeah?

GENIE

… I can’t really relate to what you and the others are going through. However, I know that in times of difficulty, you can’t be discouraged. You have to have to persevere above all the odds that are stacked against you. Don’t let something like this discourage you from your goals. Think positive!

UNDYNE

... Ha... Now I know where Frisk gets her positivity from.

GENIE

Haha, really?

 

          Frisk giggled and Genie smiled.

 

GENIE

I’m happy I was a good influence on you, Frisk!

FRISK

I’m happy too!

 

          Once Genie, Sans, and Papyrus were finished with breakfast, Toriel and Henna started washing the dishes.

 

TORIEL

So… what is your fiance like?

HENNA

Oh, he’s so sweet. He’s basically a big teddy bear!

TORIEL

That’s very cute… You are a very lucky woman.

 

          Henna glanced at Toriel and noticed that she was smiling, but it looked sad. Henna remembered the story that Genie told her. She recalled how Toriel left Asgore, and what he did to those human children in an effort to release the monsters from the barrier. She immediately felt sympathy for Toriel, who probably felt a sense of betrayal considering her adopted child was human, and was definitely disgusted regardless since they were just innocent children.

 

HENNA

Toriel, I’m… sorry… I shouldn’t have talked about my-...

TORIEL

Oh, no… do not apologize. I am happy for you. Do not worry about me.

HENNA

How could I not worry, knowing what you've been through? Come on, Toriel... I'm here for you. 

 

          Henna grinned happily at Toriel and Toriel let out a soft giggle and nodded her head. She was thankful to Henna for her support. She’s never really had a girl-friend before, and Henna seemed like a good place to start for a friendship like that! Toriel definitely needs the support from someone outside the situation, and who doesn’t have ties to Asgore. It’s more confidential that way. Nevertheless, Toriel was happy to have made a new friend.

          Meanwhile, everyone else was sitting in the living room discussing monster and human magic.

 

GENIE

Wow.. your magic sounds really cool! Our magic still exists, but technology has become so advanced that it’s primarily used for combat and medicinal reasons.

ASGORE

Ah, that makes sense. Do you have any ancestors that were mages?

GENIE

O-Oh.. my great-great grandmother served in the Great War as a mage. She helped all the victims of the war, including monsters. 

UNDYNE

Wow, really? She must have had a really kind soul.

GENIE

She did! She tried to protect everyone she could, no matter what side they were on.

ALPHYS

If her soul was filled with kindness, then wh-what about yours?

GENIE

Perseverance!

UNDYNE

Haha, nice! You know, I’m kind of curious about Frisk’s soul.

GENIE

Huh? Why?

ALPHYS

W-Well… Frisk’s soul’s color is red. It hasn’t been established as to what a r-red soul’s trait is… I-It might be determination? B-But… determination is inside of every human soul… s-so… Is her’s just… determination itself? In the same w-way that yours is perseverance?

GENIE

A red soul... those are extremely rare. Red souls started appearing during the Great War. Red souls are filled with determination. I don't exactly know what their functions were during the war, because I just don't remember my notes from my history classes. If it helps, my great-great grandmother wrote some stuff in her journals about the war, so she might have mentioned red souls and what they did. Except I can’t read them, since they’re not in braille.

ALPHYS

That sounds great! Oh... what is b-braille?

GENIE

It’s this writing system that uses small bumps that I can feel with my fingers and they translate into letters. I could ask my uncle Timothy if he has her journals. We’ll worry about those later, though, since I was wondering… should we move everyone out of the Underground or are you guys going to speak with the humans first?

ASGORE

We should start with the preparations to get everyone out of the Underground. My people have waited long enough. While that’s happening, perhaps Frisk and I can go to the human village? How does that sound, Frisk?

FRISK

Sounds good! Papyrus can come too!

ASGORE

Ah, yes. We cannot forget our mascot!

PAPYRUS

NYEH-HEH-HEH-HEH! THAT IS RIGHT. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THE MASCOT OF THE MONSTER RACE, WILL MAKE OUR FIRST IMPRESSION TO THE OTHER HUMANS SO AMAZING AND WONDERFUL, THAT THEY WILL HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT BECOME FRIENDS WITH US!

 

          Frisk giggled and hugged Papyrus happily.

 

FRISK

We’re counting on you, Paps!

PAPYRUS

WELL, OF COURSE YOU ARE!

 

          Everyone laughed and Asgore patted Papyrus on the back.

 

ASGORE

Well, let’s get ready and start heading down the mountain. Toriel, would you like to join-...?

TORIEL

I will lead the others into the Underground.

ASGORE

O-Oh, I see… very well, then.

GENIE

Henna! You can go with Asgore and the others if you want. Even though Frisk is pretty capable of herself, they’ll still doubt her since she’s a child. So you being there will probably help. I’ll join the others since I’d really love to experience the Underground...

HENNA

Oh, sure! I understand.

TORIEL

Then it is settled. Let’s get ready to go.

 

          Everyone started getting ready for their respective duties. They also put away the pull out bed and the inflatable beds. While they were doing that, Henna took Genie to her room so she can change.

 

HENNA

So what do you want to wear?

GENIE

Well.. something good for being underground. Some strong boots, maybe even those leather gloves will help. Also, aren’t caves wet and cold? Maybe a sweater… and my cargo pants! I wanna bring stuff back with me if I have time!

 

          Henna picked out what Genie asked for. Once Genie was done getting dressed, she put Genie’s hair in a bun after brushing it out. She used a black bandana to form a headband around her head, and secured it by tying it into a bow.

 

HENNA

There.. Now you’re a cute cave explorer.

GENIE

Aw, thanks.

HENNA

No problem, girl. Y’know.. Are you sure you’ll be okay? I mean.. You’re goin’ to the Underground.

GENIE

I’ll be fine. I promise!

HENNA

... A-Alright.. Let’s go.

 

         When they finally got downstairs, everyone was waiting for them. Genie called for Frisk and when she approached her, and Genie knelt down, giving her a hug.

 

GENIE

Now, you be careful, okay? Try to keep the peace the best you can.

FRISK

I will, Genie! You be careful too.

GENIE

I will, Frisk. Now run along and do some good!

 

         Genie let go of Frisk and everyone exited the cabin. After Henna locked the door, Genie listened as Henna, Frisk, Asgore, and Papyrus’ footsteps got further and further away. She smiled as she felt a furry paw take her hand.

 

TORIEL

Are you ready, Genie?

GENIE

Yeah. Let’s get this day started!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	4. Chapter 3: Goudenbloem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to take a brief look at Goudenbloem, a human village at the bottom of Mt. Ebott!

          Frisk, Asgore, Papyrus, and Henna walked down the mountain path to the human village and arrived at the base of the mountain. It took them around two hours, but they weren’t too exhausted. The walk was brilliantly scenic and the air was cool. There were birds fluttering about, and rodents that lived high up in the trees would occasionally peek down at the group as they passed by. It was a beautiful hike down the mountain. They eventually got to the gates of the human village and Asgore paused, hesitant to go further. After all, this must have been the same village where humans wrongfully killed his child, Asriel.

 

FRISK 

Asgore…?

HENNA 

What’s wrong?

ASGORE 

To barge in so suddenly…

PAPYRUS 

WORRY NOT, MY KING! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL PROTECT YOU!

ASGORE 

Y-Yes, of course. Let’s go in, but… Let’s be as respectful and careful as possible. We mustn’t raise tensions.

PAPYRUS 

OF COURSE, YOUR HIGHNESS!

 

          They walked in together, with Frisk just in front of them. Their presence immediately caught the attention of the humans as they walked deeper into the village. They walked into the center of town, and Asgore winced at the sight of the golden flowers, and everything that happened started flooding back into his mind. Asriel came back to the Underground from the human village while holding his dead, adopted, human sister, Chara. Chara had died due to an illness, and Asriel used Chara’s soul to break through the barrier and out to the surface. He wanted to fulfill Chara’s last wish, which was to see the flowers in their village. Once Asriel got to the exact patch of flowers that Asgore himself was standing in front of, the humans attacked him. His son did not defend himself, even though he was fully capable of doing so due to absorbing a human soul. When Asriel came back, severely injured, his son incidentally brought with him golden flower seeds that were stuck to his fur on his feet, and they bloomed all around Asgore’s throne room. Although those flowers in the throne room were something that Asgore was used to, seeing where they came from was uncomfortable. Frisk’s soft and gentle hand set itself in his paw, snapping him out of his thoughts.

 

ASGORE 

A-Ah, Frisk! Do not worry, I… I am fine.

FRISK 

A-Asgore-...

 

          A large crowd of humans formed around them and Frisk quickly blocked Asgore and Papyrus from them.

 

FRISK 

W-WAIT! They are my friends!

???1 

Wait… F-Frisk!?

???2 

She was missing!

???3 

Those monsters must have helped her!

???1 

That’s impossible… They are supposed to be trapped in the Underground.

PAPYRUS 

WORRY NOT, HUMANS! US MONSTERS DO NOT MEAN ANY HARM!

HENNA 

Exactly. Let’s not blow this out of proportion! They’re not here to hurt anybody…

???2 

But the last time a monster came many years ago, it brought a dead child!

???1 

Exactly! How can we trust them? They’re ruthless monsters!

HENNA 

Everyone, please! You can trust them… they even stayed in Genie’s home without any problems!

???1 

Oh, yeah, you mean the blind girl? She’s blind! If she could see what these guys looked like she would’ve kicked them out! You expect us to trust her BLIND opinion?

HENNA 

Don't you DARE.

 

          Henna put a hand on her hip and pointed a finger at the heckler.

 

HENNA 

You better watch your mouth when you talk about my best friend like that. As far as I’m concerned, you are all acting so… so rude! Listen, I understand that you’re all scared, but you have no right to condemn these monsters. They worked hard to get out of that cave! You should show a little more kindness and hear what they have to say!

???4 

I couldn’t have said that better myself.

???2 

Miss Fayre!

 

          All the attention was turned to a woman who was standing at the doorway of the village’s main government building. She was a rather tall woman, with pale skin. Her eyes were a rich chestnut color. She had her platinum blonde hair in a messy bun, and was wearing a suit. She had a black, unbuttoned blazer and matching pants with a white dress shirt. Her tie was gold colored, and so were the buttons on her blazer and pants. She tapped her black, leather shoe in annoyance. She looked rather displeased with all of the commotion. Her presence was intimidating.

 

FAYRE 

You are all representing this village terribly. I understand your concerns, after all, our last visit from a monster was… terrifying.

 

          Asgore sighed and thought to himself.

 

_ASGORE_

_Right… she must not know the whole story… none of them do._

FAYRE 

However, these visitors haven’t presented any dangerous intentions to us. So, it wouldn’t be justifiable to attack them. I still want to talk to them, though… privately. I have SEVERAL questions for them. So just continue on with the rest of your day.

 

          Frisk sighed in relief when the villagers slowly sulked away, except for the person that suggested that the monsters helped her out of the ruins safely. Before walking away, he gave her a shy smile. Frisk smiled back encouragingly. She felt a burst of determination in her soul, knowing that there may be more humans that will be willing to defend the monsters than she thought. Frisk, Asgore, Papyrus, and Henna walked over to the woman.

 

ASGORE 

Th-Thank you for calming everyone down… What is your name?

FAYRE 

My name is Fayre. I am the mayor of Goudenbloem. What are your names?

 

          Papyrus grinned and gestured to Asgore.

 

PAPYRUS 

THIS IS ASGORE, THE KING OF THE MONSTER RACE! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS, THE MASCOT!!!

 

          Fayre chuckled softly, amused at Papyrus’ playful and light-hearted attitude. She was thankful that he was still like that even after all that commotion.

 

FAYRE 

It’s nice to meet you! Especially you, Frisk… you’ve been missing for a long time.

ASGORE 

Hm? How do you know that?

FAYRE 

People know Frisk a lot, since she’s a really sweet kid. The day she disappeared, Genie got down from the mountain with Henna, and they reported her missing after reading the note that Frisk left for them. Sooner or later, the whole town knew about it… after all, she’s the eighth child to go missing after climbing Mt. Ebott after so many years. So news like that spreads fairly quickly. We tried to look for her, but it seemed as if she simply disappeared.

FRISK 

We need to talk about that, miss Fayre...

FAYRE 

I know… you all need to come with me into my office.

 

          The four of them followed Fayre into the building she stood in front of that had a sign that said, “Government of Goudenbloem.” The building wasn’t too large, but it was a reasonable size considering that the village was so small. Butterfly daisies were in pots everywhere, much like the way the lavender flower pots were laying around in Genie’s home. Asgore and Papyrus both made a mental note that flowers must have been very important to human culture. Once they reached Fayre’s office, Henna hesitated coming inside.

 

HENNA 

Should I just… wait out here?

FRISK 

You don’t have to! Is that okay, miss Fayre?

FAYRE 

It’s fine if you join us, Henna.

HENNA 

Oh… a-alright!

 

          They all entered Fayre’s office. Fayre took a seat at her desk and gestured for them to sit down. There were three leather chairs in the room. Henna sat down on the chair to the right of Fayre and let Frisk sit down on her lap. Asgore took the middle chair, and then Papyrus took the chair on the left.

 

FAYRE 

So… how did you get here? To my knowledge, the monster race was sealed behind the barrier on Mt. Ebott, which was set up by our ancestors.

ASGORE 

We were, but Frisk was able to free us.

FAYRE 

How’d you manage that, Frisk? From what I understand, seven of our ancestors made the barrier strong enough to repel any monster soul. A monster would have to have the soul power of at least seven human souls in order for them to break the barrier.

 

          Frisk fell silent, but only for a moment. She knew that Asgore and Papyrus, including the rest of her friends, were not aware of Flowey the Flower’s true identity. During their fight, Flowey reverted back to Asriel Dreemurr, Asgore and Toriel’s son, by using all the monsters souls and the six human souls that Asgore collected. Since her friends were also absorbed, all of them were completely unaware of Asriel. However, Frisk knew that the truth behind how they were freed was going to get out sooner or later, but that would also require an even deeper explanation as to Asriel’s first attempt at freeing monster kind. She could have explained it back when they were with Genie, but she subtly tiptoed around those parts. She needed to break this kind of news slowly to everyone. Frisk took a deep breath.

 

FRISK 

I’ll start from the beginning.

 

          Frisk explained everything. The pact that Asriel made with Chara, how Asriel became Flowey, and how Asriel broke apart the barrier. It was a difficult conversation, and Asgore looked absolutely horrified upon the discovery of the entire truth behind Flowey’s identity and the other events surrounding his children’s death. He couldn’t have imagined that his own children were the source of all that chaos, even though they didn’t intend to be. Fayre was very silent throughout it all, which made Frisk nervous. She couldn’t read Fayre's face at all. It was completely stoic even when Frisk discussed the missing childrens' fates.

 

ASGORE 

This is… unexpected.. To say the least… So that flower creature that took our souls… he’s… Oh no…

PAPYRUS 

THE LITTLE PRINCE... AND THE PRINCESS… I HAVE HEARD MANY THINGS ABOUT THEM. I NEVER MET THEM, BUT… THEY SOUNDED LIKE VERY NICE CHILDREN. I AM SURE THEY HAD GOOD INTENTIONS… AND… ASRIEL… HE BECAME A SOULLESS FLOWER… I’M SURE HE DIDN’T MEAN TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS TO US TOO…

 

          Fayre looked at them with her elbows on her desk and her hands folded under her chin. Frisk noticed that her hands started slightly shaking. Whether it was due to sorrow or anger, Frisk couldn’t tell.

 

FAYRE 

You’ve been through hell and back, Frisk… so have the rest of your friends. However… all that mercy they showed you after you fought their efforts to kill you so valiantly...

 

          Suddenly, Frisk got her answer as to why Fayre's hands were shaking as soon as Fayre shot Asgore and Papyrus a hot, angry glare.

 

FAYRE 

And yet they couldn’t have done the same thing to those _children_? Tell me… what did their cries for help, and the screams of pain, sound like? Their confusion… their desperation… what sort of lengths did you push those children to when they were forced to defend themselves? Did they even try to defend themselves, or did they just give up when they couldn’t take anymore?

HENNA 

M-Miss Fayre… It was the only way.

FRISK 

They know what they did was wrong! I was able to make them see that. In fact, those human souls… they helped me save them! They knew that even though it wasn’t justifiable, it was needed…

FAYRE 

… Yeah… Seven dead children, all in the name of the greater good, isn’t that right?

ASGORE 

I did not want to hurt anyone… let alone a human child. After all, I.. I adopted one of those children. However… over time, after watching my kingdom seemingly wither away, I decided that I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to give my people hope. So, I promised them seven human souls…

PAPYRUS 

I HAD NEVER SEEN A CHILD BACK THEN... FRISK WAS THE FIRST ONE I EVER MET. I AM A SENTRY IN THE ROYAL GUARD, AND THE CAPTAIN, UNDYNE, HAD VERY… MURDERY FEELINGS TOWARDS FRISK. AS SOON AS I FOUND OUT WHAT FRISK’S FATE WAS GOING TO BE, I TRIED MY BEST TO TRICK UNDYNE FROM CAPTURING MY FRIEND! UNDYNE DID FIGHT HER, BUT… FRISK GAVE HER MERCY! THEY BECAME FRIENDS AFTER UNDYNE GAVE HER SUCH AN INTENSE COOKING LESSON, THAT HER OWN HOUSE CAUGHT ON FIRE! IT WAS INTENSE!

 

          Frisk smiled in amusement.

 

FRISK 

I thought you went to the bathroom?

 

          Papyrus widened his sockets and an orange blush dusted his cheekbones.

 

PAPYRUS 

W-WELL THE BATHROOM I USED HAD… IT HAD A WINDOW!

 

          Frisk giggled, knowing that Papyrus was actually spying on her and Undyne to make sure that their hangout was going well.

 

PAPYRUS 

AAAANYWAY, CONTINUING ON…  IT IS BECAUSE OF FRISK THAT WE ALL ARE MORE… ACCEPTING OF HUMANS. WHEN FRISK WAS GOING TO FIGHT ASGORE, MISS TORIEL STOPPED THEM! YES, FRISK HAD TO FIGHT ANYWAY, BUT SHE SAVED US ALL! THEN, WE ALL SAVED HER! AS A WHOLE, WE SAVED EVERYONE! EVEN THE HUMAN SOULS HELPED US, LIKE FRISK SAID! I AM SORRY THAT IT TOOK US ALL SO LONG FOR MONSTERS TO… TO SHOW MERCY TO HUMANS… BUT, NOW WE UNDERSTAND!

 

          Fayre stayed quiet and looked down, thinking hard about what to do with all this information. She needed to be careful. She didn't want to spark another Great War.

 

FRISK 

Please, miss Fayre… don’t you think you would’ve been just as desperate? No one inherently thinks they would be, but… just try to put yourself in their shoes. If the only way you were able to free the entirety of humanity was through collecting the souls of monsters… wouldn’t you have done that?

 

          Fayre breathed in and then sighed. She looked down thoughtfully, and just when it seemed like she had refused to speak any further, she responded.

 

FAYRE 

… You’re right, Frisk. That was the only way monsters could’ve escaped… and even though it was gruesome and unjustifiable, there really was no other way. My ancestors put you in that position, and the current generations made no effort to help. Perhaps, if we had been more compassionate, we could’ve given you the souls willingly from our dead.

ASGORE 

It seems like both of our races have a lot to learn about each other’s situation.

FAYRE 

You’re right.

 

          Frisk smiled hopefully at Fayre.

 

FAYRE 

However, those children’s families need to be spoken to. The news about their children’s fate needs to be told. I don’t know how we’ll do it without causing another uproar. The last thing I want is for a group of people to take their anger out on monster children in response.

PAPYRUS 

PERHAPS WE CAN GATHER THE FAMILIES TOGETHER AND THE KING CAN TALK TO THEM, ONE BY ONE?

FAYRE 

That sounds good, but I will also need to be present.

ASGORE 

That's alright! I'll make tea...

FAYRE 

After the meetings, though, I'm not sure if the village will be too keen on seeing a single monster.

ASGORE 

We thought this may be a problem. We picked a place to set up a camp on the mountain. It may not be the full experience of the Surface for now, but.. I do hope we can solve this issue soon so that we can come down the mountain and live peacefully.

FAYRE 

I also want this issue over and done with just as quick as you do… Having monsters integrate back into the Surface will be my top priority. So where is this area that you’ll be camping at?

PAPYRUS 

IT’S THIS AMAZING MEADOW THAT SITS ON A HUGE CLIFF AND HAS PRETTY FLOWERS OF ALL SORTS OF COLORS THERE!

FAYRE 

Oh! I know that place… you can see it from the village. It’s beautiful up there… That’s a good place to set up a camp. Oh, and now that we’ve settled things with you and your people, I need to turn my attention to you, Frisk.

FRISK 

M-Me?

FAYRE 

Are you going to be staying with the monsters?

FRISK 

Yes.

FAYRE 

With who?

FRISK 

Toriel.

FAYRE 

Toriel… that’s the previous queen of the monsters?

FRISK 

Yes… she loves me a lot, and I love her a lot too. I already consider her more of a mother than-...

 

         Frisk hesitated and looked away.

 

FAYRE 

… Don’t worry, you don’t have to say anything more about that. I understand. At least you’ll be well taken care of. Though, just to be safe, I can give Toriel some papers to sign so at least the human government will recognize her as your legal guardian. I don’t want you two to run into any trouble..

FRISK 

Okay, I understand…

FAYRE 

Alright, I suppose this is all settled for now. Now, if you need anything for your camp, just send Henna or Genie. I’ll help them get supplies up to you. Also, I’ll let the townspeople and everyone in the city know that you’ll be having a much greater presence here and to behave themselves. Is it alright if humans could go up to the camp as well?

PAPYRUS 

VISITORS?! WE WOULD LOVE VISITORS!!!

ASGORE 

Yes, that sounds very lovely…

FAYRE 

Great! Then it’s settled.

 

          Fayre stood up and smiled, holding out her hand to the two monsters

 

FAYRE 

On behalf of the townspeople of Goudenbloem, welcome to the Surface.

 

          Asgore smiled and shook her hand.

 

ASGORE 

Thank you, Miss Fayre.

 

          Papyrus grinned happily and shook her other hand excitingly

 

PAPYRUS 

YES! YOU HAVE BEEN A VERY GOOD HOSTESS! HOPEFULLY ALL THE PROBLEMS BETWEEN HUMANS AND MONSTERS WILL MELT AWAY! THAT WAY, WE CAN COEXIST IN PEACE AND HARMONY!

 

          Frisk smiled happily at the heart-warming scene. For the first time, after all those timelines, she just couldn’t bring herself to ever reset again. She was tired of fighting, and tired of repeating the same thing over and over again. She decided that it was time for her to move on with her friends, and have a proper life. Frisk just hoped with every fiber of her soul that a certain someone wasn't going to ruin it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to post chapters more frequently, since I'm actually currently writing Chapter 8, but I wouldn't have enough time. I try to stay at least 5 chapters ahead so that if something happens, I still be able to update on time.


	5. Chapter 4: Into the Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to start moving people out of the Underground! Genie comes along to experience it all! In this chapter, Genie discovers The Ruins, Snowdin Forest, Snowdin Town, and Waterfall!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is being uploaded early since I am just about finished writing Chapter 11, and I want to keep myself only five chapters ahead. So enjoy this early chapter. There will still be an update on the first of March, and that will be Chapter 5! Enjoy <3!
> 
> Up Next: Hotland, the Core, New Home, and Asgore's Castle!

          Genie and the rest of the group arrived at the entrance to the Underground, which was the large, deep pit that Frisk fell into. Genie felt all that cool air gently flow out of the pit, and she carefully prodded with her cane until she found the edge. They all decided to enter at the entrance to the Ruins in order to make it easier for the residents of the Underground to follow them straight out to the barrier.

 

GENIE 

So how far down does this go?

UNDYNE 

Eh, I’d say at least a couple hundred feet.

GENIE 

WHAT?! How could Frisk survive a fall like that?!

TORIEl 

Well, there is a bed of flowers down there that must’ve broken her fall…

GENIE 

A bed of…That shouldn’t...

SANS 

gotta hand it to the kid, she’s pretty tough.

GENIE 

Yeah… pretty impressive… a-and kind of scary. Geez… no wonder Henna doesn’t like it when I take walks by myself.

ALPHYS 

W-Well, wouldn’t you get lost?

GENIE 

Well, I actually have some yarn that’s attached to the fence that goes around my porch. I wrap the yarn around my hand and then keep walking until I feel the yarn tug on me. I like to listen to the sounds of the forest, it’s pretty calming. Haha, there was this one time where the yarn broke off. I fell and tugged too hard, causing it to break. Little did I know, it happened a couple feet away from my house! I was coming back from a walk, and I thought I was lost in the woods somewhere and started crying in fear. Henna found me and couldn’t stop laughing and teasing me after all that. I must’ve looked ridiculous!

TORIEL 

Heehee! That’s very cute, Genie

GENIE 

Aw, thank you Toriel. So, how are we gonna get to the bottom of this thing? Frisk may have survived, but.. I’m.. a little hesitant on going down the same way she did.

TORIEL 

Well, I’m pretty durable, so perhaps I could carry you down? Undyne can carry Alphys, and then there’s Sans… hmm…

SANS 

don’t worry, i know a shortcut.

 

          Sans turned around on his heel and started walking into the forest, away from the others.

 

SANS 

i’ll meet ya down there, don’t worry.

 

          After a small moment of confusion from the rest of the party, they started making their way down. Toriel and Undyne had Genie and Alphys on their backs as they climbed down. They did it with ease, and helped guide each other so that they didn’t lose their footing on the slippery rocks. Once they got onto the ground at the bottom of the pit, they looked over and saw Sans waiting for them at the entrance to another part of the cave. He was sitting down on the steps.

 

UNDYNE 

What the-... SANS! HOW’D YOU GET DOWN HERE SO QUICKLY?

SANS 

like i said, i took a shortcut.

UNDYNE 

You seem to ALWAYS take shortcuts… where the hell are these, “shortcuts.”

SANS 

… welp.

 

          Sans stood up and dusted off the back of his pants and simply walked into the next room. Undyne gritted her teeth and growled in frustration.

 

UNDYNE 

I hate when he ignores people like that! If I didn’t know Paps, I would’ve grabbed that little PIPSQUEAK and-...!

ALPHYS 

U-Undyne!

UNDYNE 

… yeah, yeah... let’s just get this field trip over with.

 

          The rest of the party followed Sans into the room, but they stopped when they heard a familiar voice. Genie looked around, unaware of the talking golden flower that was planted right at her feet.

 

FLOWEY 

HOWDY! I’m Flowey! Flowey the Flower!

GENIE 

Oh! Hello.. uh, where are you?

FLOWEY 

Down here, silly! Don’t you have any eyes?

GENIE 

Uh… no.. no, I don’t have eyes. Mind if I kneel down?

FLOWEY 

Sure! The closer the bet-...!

 

          When Genie got on her knees, Flowey noticed that Sans was behind her. His sockets, which usually contained bright, white dots of light, were now empty. His expression was threatening, and his message to Flowey was clear. Flowey could be very dangerous, and Genie would be very easy to kill. The rest of Genie’s group glared down at Flowey as well, and all of them stayed silent. Flowey had killed them and absorbed their souls. Even though they don’t know what happened after they were absorbed, they did remember that Flowey hurt them severely before taking their souls. Genie leaned forward a bit.

 

GENIE 

Is this good?

FLOWEY 

Y-YEP! That’s just.. just fine! So, uh.. Why is a human like you down here with all these monsters?

GENIE 

Well, we’re going to help all the monsters evacuate from the Underground. Wanna come?

UNDYNE 

WHAT?! WE CAN’T BRING HIM AFTER ALL HE’S DONE! He’ll just try to ruin our lives!

GENIE 

Well, Frisk is your friend and gave you mercy, despite the fact you probably dragged innocent children down to King Asgore to be killed... and you attempted to do the same to her.

UNDYNE 

TH-THAT WAS-...!

GENIE 

Even if it was for a good cause that did end up freeing everyone, that was pretty ruthless regardless. So… I think we should give Flowey mercy too.

FLOWEY 

Eugh… PASS.

GENIE 

What?

FLOWEY 

I don’t need your PITY! I don’t need your MERCY! I’m perfectly happy down here, without you idiots around me. Especially that SMILEY TRASHBAG BEHIND YOU!

GENIE 

Smiley trashbag?

ALPHYS 

I-I think he’s referring to, um.. S-Sans.

GENIE 

Oh… Well that’s a rude thing to say.

SANS 

don’t worry about it, genie. i’ve got “thick skin.”

FLOWEY 

SHUT. UP!!!

 

          Genie, Toriel, and Alphys started giggling, and the tension in the room seemed to ease slightly. Even Undyne chuckled quietly behind her hand.

 

GENIE 

Well, Flowey.. We’ll probably be here for the rest of the day. So just come find us if you want to leave the Underground. If you do, you’re welcome to stay with me, or even Frisk.

FLOWEY 

Whatever! I couldn’t care less about anything you’re saying. Just… Just leave me alone, human!

GENIE 

Well, if that’s how you wanna be, then alright. By the way, my name’s Genie.

FLOWEY 

Yeah, yeah, I don’t CARE.

 

          Genie shrugged and walked into the ruins with the rest of the party, leaving a sulking flower behind. Toriel guided them all through the ruins. The puzzles that were lying around were already solved due to Frisk, and Toriel never bothered to reset them. Genie was excited to meet all the monsters that lived in the ruins. There were creatures of all kinds. They followed the group to Toriel’s house. All the monsters from the Ruins and the rest of their group waited outside while Toriel collected her things. Genie decided to go keep her company while Toriel packed.

 

TORIEL 

Perhaps, over time, I can come back for my books. For now, I’ll take the more important things!

GENIE 

Sounds good! I wish I could help.. Are you sure you can do this by yourself? It must be a lot to pack...

TORIEL 

Oh, yes, dear! I am perfectly capable of doing this sort of thing. In fact… sometimes, I’d find myself… practicing for it.

GENIE 

O-Oh, Toriel… that’s… th-that’s...

TORIEL 

Sad? Whether or not you were going to say that doesn’t matter, because it’s true. It IS a sad thing because it was all in the hopes that I’d be walking out of here to freedom once I was done packing… But… That’s alright. I think, as a whole, the monster race became stronger because of this. We became closer than ever to each other, and even though our hope dwindled, we coped the best we could and tried to make everyday into a positive… well… except for some of us..

GENIE 

Are you… talking about Asgore?

TORIEL 

… Yes.

GENIE 

Oh, then.. I won’t pry into it. I know it’s a sensitive subject, obviously.

TORIEL 

Thank you, dear. Don’t worry about it, I’ve had plenty of time to think about it all, and I’m very content with my decision.

GENIE 

Oh, good...

TORIEL 

The most important thing now is to get everyone settled on the Surface.

 

          Genie nodded, and once Toriel packed all the essentials she needed, she and Genie let all the monsters into Toriel’s home. Toriel helped guide the everyone down the stairs to the basement of Toriel’s house and down the corridor. They opened the entrance to Snowdin Forest inside the Underground and Genie gasped as they stepped out. The cold breeze hit her, and she was taken by surprise.

 

GENIE 

I-It’s cold?! And… is this snow?

 

          Genie gently stomped her feet, feeling and hearing the familiar crunch of snow.

 

SANS 

yep. welcome to the snowdin forest.

GENIE 

Snowdin? As in.. “Snowed in?”

SANS 

heh-heh.. yep.

GENIE 

Woooow…

 

          Toriel grinned and laughed a bit. They started walking down a path in the snow that lead to the town ahead of them.

 

TORIEL 

It’s quite an appropriate name, isn’t it?

GENIE 

It is pretty creative!

TORIEL 

Well of course! After all, it was MY idea all those years ago!

SANS 

heh, should’ve known.

 

          Toriel and Genie laughed, and Alphys gave a little giggle in amusement. As they walked, Genie had to be led carefully around the patches of ice. One slip and she could really get hurt. Suddenly, she heard loud barking coming closer and closer to her at a rapid pace. She instinctively took a step back before getting tackled into the snow. She could feel breath hitting her face as the large and impressive, “Greater Dog,” panted above her. Genie squealed happily and eagerly pet GD’s head once she found it with her hands. He was still dressed in his armor.

 

GENIE 

Aww, you’re such a big puppy!!! You’re so cute and fluffy! Such a good dog!

 

          Genie giggled as Undyne pried GD off of her.

 

UNDYNE 

Hey! Control yourself, Greater Dog!

 

          Genie grinned happily.

 

GENIE 

Is he your pet or something?

UNDYNE 

What? No, he’s not my pet. He’s his own monster!

GENIE 

Huh? So, dogs are monsters?

UNDYNE 

Yeah! Is it that weird to you?

GENIE 

Well, we have dogs on the surface too! They’re pets! Like my cat, Luna, at home. They aren't monsters.

Undyne 

… Huh… things are pretty different on the Surface, huh?

GENIE 

Seems so… I apologize if I insulted you, Greater Dog. It wasn’t my intention at all!

 

          Genie giggled as he licked her cheek, accepting her apology. Once they arrived in Snowdin Town, they all split up so that they could go to each home and start the evacuation. Genie decided to go accompany Sans so he can pack up his and Papyrus’ things. She sat on their lumpy couch and listened as Sans shuffled around.

 

SANS 

welp, i really don't wanna do this… buuut… papyrus’ll probably get mad if i don't get our more important stuff. i'm pretty _bone tired_ with all this walking.

GENIE 

Come on, Sans. Think about it like this, the quicker you get it over with, the more time you’ll have to take a nap!

SANS 

true... but if i take the nap now…

GENIE 

Sans.

SANS 

alright, alright!

 

          Genie shook her head, smiling. After a bit of shuffling noises and the sounds of things being stuffed in what was probably a suitcase, she heard a loud, metallic crash hit the floor.

 

SANS 

oops.

GENIE 

Sans? What the hell was that?!

SANS 

just my trombone, heh.. i dunno if i’ll bring it with me… it’s pretty heavy.

GENIE 

…. You own a trombone..?

SANS 

surprised?

GENIE 

When I think about it, not really, no. Do you know how to play it?

SANS 

eh, a little.

GENIE 

Can I hear it? I just wanna know what it sounds like!

 

          Sans played a goofy little song, and watched as Genie’s face lit up with excitement and curiosity. She let out a squeal of laughter. He couldn’t help but grin at that display. It’s a similar feeling he’d feel when he’d get Toriel or Frisk to do that.

 

GENIE 

Can I try?

SANS 

… heh… sure.

 

          Sans walked downstairs and gave her the trombone, instructing her on how to hold and use it. He held it up by the underside of the bell tube to help her carry it. It was around ten pounds, and someone who has never used it before may not be able to comfortably support the weight at first.

 

SANS 

now try it out for yourself.

 

            Genie breathed in and played a short note. She pulled away and giggled happily.

 

GENIE 

It sounds so weird! I love it! You could play it for everyone, and I really think they'd enjoy it!

SANS 

welp, guess the trombone’s comin’ with us.

GENIE 

Great!

 

          Sans lifted the trombone gently away from Genie and secured it into its case. Once Sans was finished packing everything else, they exited his home. Genie carefully walked down the steps with him. She stopped walking when Sans tapped her shoulder.

 

SANS 

hold on a sec, just wait here. i have to go pick up one more thing before we get going.

GENIE 

Oh, sure. I’ll be right here.. I won’t go anywhere.

 

          Genie listened as Sans’ footsteps got farther away. She decided to sit in the snow and fiddle around with it. She always did like how it felt on her hands, and the crunching sounds it made was very satisfying. She stopped when she felt like someone was near her.

 

GENIE 

Sans? Are you done packing up?

 

          Genie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when she started to hear a voice speaking to her.

 

??? 

**_W︎H︎A︎T︎ T︎H︎E︎ H︎E︎L︎L︎ I︎S︎ T︎H︎I︎S︎ H︎U︎M︎A︎N︎ D︎O︎I︎N︎G︎ O︎U︎T︎ H︎E︎R︎E︎?︎ I︎T︎'︎S︎ F︎R︎E︎E︎Z︎I︎N︎G︎.︎_ **

GENIE 

I’m sorry, what was that? I can’t understand you.

??? 

**_WHAT._ **

GENIE 

Are you… trying to ask me something?

??? 

**_HOLY SHIT. SHE CAN HEAR ME?_ **

GENIE 

Umm… do you need help packing up? I wouldn’t be much help, then. I’m blind.

??? 

**_THAT’S HILARIOUS... ACTUALLY, NO… THAT’S KIND OF MEAN._ **

GENIE 

Uh… maybe you just need someone to talk to? You can sit with me if you want.

??? 

**_YOU’RE ASTONISHINGLY NICE TO STRANGERS._ **

 

          Sans walked out from behind his house. Genie turned around when she heard Sans call out to her.

 

SANS 

hey, genie! comin’ back now! i think i got everything!

GENIE 

Oh, good! Hey, Sans.. think you can help me out? There’s this guy over here and I can’t understand a word he’s saying. I feel really bad, and I think he might need help with something!

??? 

**_HE’S NOT VERY HELPFUL. HE JUST GIVES UP ON THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT. SO… I’M JUST GONNA GO. MAYBE I’LL SEE YOU SOON, HUMAN._ **

 

          Sans was looking down at some blueprints on a large paper that he was holding as he walked towards Genie. He decided to go to his lab that was behind him and Papyrus’ home. There were several things he needed to pick up, but the machine that he was working on was going to have to stay for now. Sans sighed and rolled up the paper and put it in a pocket inside his jacket with the rest of what he was able to grab from his lab. He walked up and stood beside Genie.

 

SANS 

so, uh… where’s this guy?

GENIE 

Are you serious… did he leave?

SANS 

looks like it.

GENIE 

That’s so rude. Granted, he probably said goodbye, but… Still, I didn’t even hear him leave.

SANS 

weird… so, why couldn’t you understand him? 

GENIE 

I don’t know... I could tell he was speaking words, but… they sounded like gibberish to me.

SANS 

huh…?

GENIE 

Ah, nevermind. He’s gone now so it doesn’t matter.

UNDYNE 

You have GOT to be kidding me, Sans.

 

          Sans and Genie’s focus turned to Undyne, who was walking up to them with Alphys and Toriel.

 

SANS

heh, nah, i’ve _goat_ nothin’ to _kid_ about.

 

          Toriel let out an adorable snort and started laughing.

 

UNDYNE 

Sans. Are you actually going to bring your-... ugh..

 

          Sans grinned at her with anticipation. He so wanted to hear her force out the pun that was in his instrument’s name. He knew she was inwardly amused when he made certain puns, but to force her to do one was his favorite pastime.

 

UNDYNE 

Are you seriously going to bring your... trom _bone_?

 

          Toriel immediately laughed again, putting her hand to her mouth as she tried to muffle the fit of laughter that threatened to burst out of her. Alphys put a hand on her face, shaking her head, but Sans could see a smile peeking out.

 

SANS 

yep. it’s a good idea, don’t you think?

UNDYNE 

NO.

SANS 

yes.

UNDYNE 

You are so annoying with that thing. I swear, one day, I will bend your trombone in half.

SANS 

ouch. that sounds like it’ll hurt.

 

          Now it was Genie’s turn for a laughing fit, since she wasn’t expecting him to turn Undyne’s words into something so vulgar.

 

UNDYNE 

DID YOU JUST… NGAAAH! SANS, REALLY?!

SANS 

heh-heh! you said it, not me.

UNDYNE 

I DIDN’T-... UGH!!! I’M SERIOUS, SANS! USE THAT INSTRUMENT ON ME, AND I’LL TAKE IT AND THROW IT OFF THE CLIFF!

SANS 

heh! your funeral.

UNDYNE 

WHAT!? WAS THAT A THREAT!?

GENIE 

H-Hey! Calm down! We’ve gotta focus on leading these monsters out of the Underground safely!

TORIEL 

Yes, yes, that’s right! We can’t keep…

UNDYNE 

NO, DON’T-...!

TORIEL 

_Lion_ around!

 

          Undyne grumbled and stomped away as Sans laughed. Alphys quickly followed her, and Toriel chuckled and patted Sans’ head as she passed by to follow Undyne as well. They needed to calm her down before they head into the next area of the Underground. Alphys was able to hug Undyne’s frustration away. Undyne couldn’t help but calm down when someone so cute was comforting her. So, once all the residents of Snowdin were gathered together, everyone made their way into a place that was wet and humid.

 

UNDYNE 

Welcome to Waterfall, everyone! OH! HEY, GENIE! Check this out over here!

 

          Genie was suddenly pulled away to the side by Undyne. They soon stopped in front of a bright, blue flower.

 

GENIE 

Whoa, hey! What is it, Undyne?

UNDYNE 

I know you can’t see it, but right in front of you is what we monsters call an, “Echo Flower!”

GENIE 

Why is it called an Echo Flower?

 

          Undyne grinned and tapped on the flower and it immediately repeated Genie's words.

 

ECHO FLOWER 

_Why is it called an Echo Flower?_

GENIE 

OHH! I get it! That’s amazing! How did it do that?

UNDYNE 

Just say something to it, and then tap it with your finger. It’s right in front of you, so just reach out for it.

GENIE 

Okay! Um… Thank you, Undyne!

 

          Everyone watched as Genie found the flower with her hand and tapped it.

 

ECHO FLOWER

_Thank you, Undyne!_

         Genie smiled towards Undyne. Undyne smiled back, and gave her a pat on the back.

 

UNDYNE

No problem!

 

           Toriel clapped her hands together to grab everyone's attention.

 

TORIEL 

Alright everyone, there are many more monsters to find and evacuate. Alphys was able to send a message out to the rest of the Underground. They should be ready for us as we arrive to pick them up.

ALPHYS

Y-Yes, I just simply told everyone to go to certain places that are readily accessible on this main road we’re taking. I-It’ll be much faster that way.

UNDYNE

Ha! Isn’t my Alphy the smartest?

 

          Alphys blushed and covered her face in embarrassment. Undyne lightly teased her as they continued to traverse Waterfall. The sound of rushing water was very soothing to Genie’s ears. It was cool and very humid. At one point, Toriel had to carry Genie so that Genie didn’t get swept away when they were crossing the rushing rivers. Genie appreciated that, even though she didn’t particularly like being carried. It made her feel helpless when people went to such lengths to help her traverse the environment. However, she’d rather be carried then swept away into an unfamiliar place… or maybe even to certain death.

          As they walked through Waterfall, Genie felt her stomach grumble. She sighed, since she didn’t realize that so much time passed by already. She also didn’t notice that Toriel looked down at her in response to her stomach growling. She was still carrying her as she walked over some bridge seeds. The flowers were quite soft, and sank a bit when something would walk over them. So, Genie needed to be carried until they passed them.

 

TORIEL 

Genie? What’s wrong?

GENIE 

I’m just getting hungry, that’s all.

TORIEL 

Oh! I have just the thing! Wait just a moment.

 

          Once they passed the bridge seeds, she put Genie down so that she could walk on her own. Toriel reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. She handed it to Genie.

 

TORIEL 

It’s just a box with a lid, so it can be removed quite easily! I think you’ll like what’s inside!

 

          Genie carefully opened the box as she walked and was immediately hit with the familiar scent of butterscotch and cinnamon.

 

GENIE 

Whoa… you really like butterscotch and cinnamon. You used them to make those pancakes this morning.

TORIEL 

Well, there aren’t very many ingredients to choose from down here. I never leave the ruins, but there are very kind spiders that lent me ingredients once and a while. Hopefully, living on the surface will show me a lot more ingredients to cook with.

GENIE 

I see… so what is it?

TORIEL 

A pie! Frisk loves my pies.

GENIE 

I can smell why! It smells amazing…

 

          Genie broke off a piece of the pie and ate it.

 

GENIE 

Mmm! This tastes delicious! It’s really good, Toriel!

TORIEL 

Thank you very much, dear!

GENIE 

You’re welcome! So where are we heading now?

ALPHYS 

O-Oh! W-We’re heading to Hotland now! Oh, but... Undyne, what about your house?

UNDYNE 

Well... in my last cooking tutorial, which was with Frisk, I kind of set it on fire...

ALPHYS 

O-Oh.

UNDYNE 

Don't worry about it! Pretty sure I have stuff in your lab anyways.

ALPHYS 

O-Okay!

 

          Alphys winced when she heard an excited squeal come from a familiar voice. Genie jumped in surprise when she heard it, since it came from right behind her.

 

GENIE 

W-What was-...?

ALPHYS 

M-Mettaton! Don’t just-...!

METTATON 

DARLING! You’re a human, right? You look adorable!

GENIE 

Oh! Yes, um… thank you!

METTATON 

Just let me take a look at your- OH…

 

          Mettaton had bumped Alphys to the side so he can take a look at Genie’s face, but widened his eyes when he saw Genie’s empty sockets.

 

METTATON 

Darling, what happened to your face?!

 

          Genie slowly raised her brows. She couldn’t believe that question, and was honestly shocked to be asked such a thing in the first place. Genie didn't mind being asked why she didn't have eyes, but to phrase it in such an exaggerated, dramatic way...

 

ALPHYS 

M-Mettaton!!! Don’t ask questions like that!

METTATON 

What? I’m only being honest.

GENIE 

It’s fine, Alphys… I get asked that kind of question all the time by children.

 

          There was a bit of silence and then Sans snorted, chuckling to himself. Toriel reached over and playfully hit his arm for laughing. Sans’ grin widened and he shrugged his shoulders.

 

METTATON 

What?

GENIE 

It’s nothing, um… Mettaton, was it? I was born without eyes, so my sockets are basically empty. It’s not very common.

UNDYNE 

Well, technically, that’s where you’re wrong!

GENIE 

Huh?

UNDYNE 

I may not have two missing eyes, but I did lose one! So hey, you’re not alone! Kind of…

 

          Genie smiled.

 

GENIE 

Thanks, Undyne… So, Mettaton, you kind of sound like a robot… is that what you are?

METTATON 

Yes I am! I used to be a ghost, but then Alphys made me a robot body! I entertain all my adoring fans with my impressive acting, mesmerizing dancing, and absolutely beautiful singing!

GENIE 

Really? That’s amazing, Alphys!

ALPHYS 

A-Amazing? Gosh, I mean.. R-Really?

GENIE 

Yeah! Your girlfriend’s right when she says that you’re smart! You really are… I mean, I never doubted you… but I don’t think any human could create a machine that’s inhabited by a ghost! That’s really impressive!

 

          Alphys’ face flushed red and smiled shyly. Undyne shot a wink her way.

 

ALPHYS

A-Aw, why.. Thank you.. Oh! We’re about to arrive in Hotland soon, s-so maybe… maybe you can tell me about h-human history while I pack?

UNDYNE

Oh! I'll definitely go with you guys, then! I recently found out that anime isn't real human history.

GENIE 

Anime? I’ve heard of it, and have listened to some episodes of it. I listen to them with Henna so that she can describe what’s happening since it’s not always obvious to me what’s going on when there’s no dialogue.

ALPHYS 

O-Oh! What have you w-watched?

GENIE 

Well, I did see one called, “Sailors of the Galaxy.” It’s pretty cute! It’s about these magical girls who are all named after the planets of the solar system and dedicate their lives to fight evil. It’s super romantic and is all about the power of friendship.

 

          Alphys’ eyes were glittering with amazement. It was just the kind of anime she loved, and she squealed adorably.

 

ALPHYS 

YOU HAVE TO SHOW ME! A-And maybe I can show you Mew Mew Kissy Cutie!!! We can watch it together!!! Oh my gosh, th-this is so…. E-Exciting…..

 

          Alphys noticed mostly everyone staring at her in surprise. Even Genie raised her brows in surprise at Alphys’ outburst. Undyne, however, was used to her fangirling, so was just smiling at her lovingly. She couldn’t help it.

 

ALPHYS 

U-Uh, I-I… um… s-sorry, I just… A-Anime is… um... 

 

          Genie giggled a bit, followed by everyone else.

 

TORIEL 

My, my… you really do adore this, “anime,” Alphys.

ALPHYS 

H-Hee-hee… y-yeah, I do…

GENIE 

Well, I can’t wait to show the one I know to you!

 

          Genie gasped a bit when she felt hot air hit her face. She widened her eyes in surprise at the sensation. They arrived in Hotland, which was a massive cave surrounded by magma. It was the exact opposite of Waterfall. Genie removed her coat and tied it around her hips as she walked.

 

GENIE 

Is... Is this...?

ALPHYS 

Yes... G-Genie, welcome to Hotland!


	6. Chapter 5: Not So Soulless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We briefly travel from Hotland and, finally, out of the barrier! Monsters are free from the Underground, and now they must keep MOVING FORWARD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I got very busy over the weekend, but here we are! I hope you enjoy!

          Fayre decided to accompany Frisk and her two friends to the entrance of the village.

 

FAYRE 

Do come back, okay?

PAPYRUS 

WE’D LOVE TO!

FAYRE 

Great! I’ll let you all know when I’ve gathered the victims’ families so that we can… break the news.

 

          Asgore winced slightly and nodded. He made a mental note to check the coffins in his castle’s basement. He knew that the families would want to bury their children properly.

 

FAYRE 

I’ll see you all later, then! Send someone down here if you are short on any supplies.

FRISK 

Thank you!

HENNA 

Yeah, Miss Fayre. You’re a huge help!

 

          Fayre winked and waved, turning around and going back inside the village. Once Fayre was out of sight, having gone back to her office, Asgore put a gentle paw on Frisk’s shoulder.

 

ASGORE 

Frisk… take me to my son, please. I understand that he has reverted back into a soulless flower, but… I want to try to talk to him.

FRISK 

… Okay.

HENNA 

Well, I-I think I’m going to go on a well-deserved shopping trip!

PAPYRUS 

YOU SHOULD JOIN US!

HENNA 

Nah, I just… uh… well, going underground in a confined cave that could cave in on us at any moment is… not my cup of tea. Besides, I’m sure you all could just show me pictures if you really want me to see what it looks like down there.

 

          Frisk nodded, understanding Henna’s fear.

 

FRISK 

Okay… We’ll see you later.

HENNA 

I’ll meet you guys soon at the meadow cliffs, since I’m assuming you’ll be setting up camp immediately?

ASGORE 

Yes, that’s right. We should be out of the barrier by tonight.

HENNA 

Gotcha! See ya guys then!

 

          They all pulled each other into a hug, and then Henna waved goodbye to them as they separated. Frisk led Asgore and Papyrus up the mountain and up to the pit from which she fell into the Underground. To Asgore’s surprise, Frisk immediately ran and jumped into the pit.

 

ASGORE 

FRISK!

PAPYRUS 

WAIT THAT’S TOO RISKY!

 

          Asgore and Papyrus rushed to the edge of the cliff and looked down at Frisk, who was laying on the bed of flowers. She was smiling up at them and gave them an encouraging double thumbs up.

 

PAPYRUS 

THANK GOODNESS!

ASGORE 

T-Toriel would’ve had my head if you got hurt!

 

          Asgore sighed and turned to Papyrus.

 

ASGORE 

I know this is an uncomfortable thing to offer, but I can carry you while I jumped down there, if you want. I’m pretty durable, so I will be fine.

PAPYRUS 

YES, OF COURSE, MY KING! I WILL BE YOUR CUSHION IF NEEDED!

ASGORE 

Haha, hopefully it won't come to that.

 

          Asgore picked up Papyrus and jumped down the pit once Frisk was out of the way. Frisk couldn’t help but laugh as she head Papyrus scream as they fell down. Once Asgore landed, he let a rather shaken Papyrus down.

 

PAPYRUS 

UM… I WAS SIMPLY TESTING OUT MY BATTLE CRY JUST IN CASE THERE WERE ANY THREATS NEARBY! OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE NONE, SO I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN SCARING THEM AWAY! NOW YOU ARE SAFE, THANKS TO THE GREAT PAPYRUS!

 

          Asgore smiled and chuckled.

 

ASGORE 

Yes, of course. Thank you Papyrus. We are very appreciative of your protection of us.

 

          Frisk led Asgore and Papyrus to Flowey’s usual spot and stopped once she saw him. She was surprised to see that Flowey was crying. Usually, he would only cry if he was terrified. Frisk, however, knew that he was crying for an entirely different reason. He must have saw Toriel when the others passed through.

 

FRISK 

Flowey…

 

          Flowey stopped his sniffing and whipped around to face Frisk. He was about to say something before he stopped and started gawking at Asgore. He quickly recovered and his face scrunched up in anger and disgust.

 

FLOWEY 

Oh, great. Now you brought more people to look down on me in pity too!?

ASGORE 

Asriel… I am not here to look down on you.

FLOWEY 

ASRI-...?!

 

          Flowey glared up at Frisk.

 

FLOWEY 

YOU TOLD ASGORE?!

FRISK 

And Papyrus too.

FLOWEY 

WHY… WHY WOULD YOU TELL THEM WHO I AM?! WHAT I DID… EVERYTHING THAT.. THAT HAPPENED!?

FRISK 

Because they need to know the truth, and so does everyone else. I am going to tell them everything that happened, especially when it comes to you.. I think it’s something that Asgore and Toriel need to know… immediately.

FLOWEY 

What good do you think THAT’S gonna do?!

FRISK 

Well, you’ll be coming to the Surface, and it’ll get out sooner or later.

FLOWEY 

Who says I’m going to the Surface?

FRISK 

Me.

FLOWEY 

… You’re here to convince me.

FRISK 

We all are. Look, Flowey, you don’t have to be all alone. Everyone deserves mercy, and everyone deserves a friend.

FLOWEY 

Well I… I DON’T! I don’t understand why you keep thinking that I do! It’s better if you just do what I told you and just forget about me! I did terrible things, and… UGH! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE SO I CAN JUST… WITHER AWAY! I CAN’T FEEL COMPASSION, YOU IDIOTS!

ASGORE 

Asri-... err… Flowey… I did terrible things too. I killed six innocent children. Yes, it was in desperation to free the monsters of the Underground, but I still committed that horrid act. Despite all that, Frisk still showed me mercy. I know… that it does not seem like it now, but… it is better to have support from your friends than to sulk by yourself.

PAPYRUS 

ALSO… I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU CANNOT FEEL COMPASSION… BECAUSE… YOU WERE MY FRIEND.

FLOWEY 

I wasn’t your friend, you idiot! I just talked to you when I was bored, so that I can have something to do!

PAPYRUS 

YOU’RE LYING, FLOWEY… I KNOW YOU MAY NOT ADMIT IT RIGHT NOW, BUT… WHEN YOU AND I TALKED… YOU REALLY SEEMED TO ENJOY YOURSELF.

 

          Frisk smiled at Papyrus’ stubbornness. Papyrus might be oblivious a lot of things, but he certainly wasn’t oblivious to when someone was having trouble. It was as if he could see into people souls and know with absolute confidence that there was good in them and that they needed his help to see that.

 

FLOWEY 

I… I didn’t-…!

ASGORE 

Flowey.. Don’t you think that if you could feel anger, despair, and sorrow… you could also feel kindness, happiness, and love?

FLOWEY 

WH-... that’s not possible!

ASGORE 

Perhaps… the feelings you have now are a reflection of what you had before you passed away? That maybe… you can’t feel compassion because those negative feelings are in the way.

FLOWEY 

.... Are you telling me to look inside myself and find all the THEORETICAL goodness in my nonexistent soul? Because if you are, that’s a stupid idea.

FRISK 

Flowey… you’re literally doing what Asgore just told you that you are doing. Please, Flowey… it won’t happen overnight, but maybe… we can help you feel positive feelings again…

 

          Frisk gasped at a sudden realization. Memories of her fight against Flowey while he was in his Omega form resurfaced in her mind. One of the children’s souls was the soul of perseverance. It’s the same type that Genie has. The soul was forced to attack Frisk through negative words, but when Frisk called out for the human to help her, the human snapped out of Flowey’s control and gave her positive words. Those positive words helped Frisk to regain her hope, and she felt her own soul overflow with determination.

 

FRISK 

Flowey, I know the perfect person who can help you! She’s like family to me, and she has a soul with perseverance! She can teach you how to think positive feelings instead of negative ones! I mean, anyone can do that, but maybe with someone that has the soul of perseverance… there’s a better chance it’ll work!

FLOWEY 

It’ll be a waste of time…

PAPYRUS 

IT MIGHT NOT BE! PLEASE, FLOWEY… I WANT MY BEST FRIEND WITH ME ON THE SURFACE!

ASGORE 

… Flowey, look at me.

 

          Flowey winced at the familiar tone of Asgore’s voice. It was fatherly, and Flowey swallowed back a lump of nostalgia that seemed stuck at the back of his stem. Flowey turned and looked up at Asgore.

 

ASGORE 

Please… I won’t give up on my son. Come with us, and we can be like a family again.

FLOWEY 

What about mo-...

 

          Flowey mentally kicked himself in the roots and glared at Frisk out the corner of his eye when he saw her smile and raise an eyebrow at him. He scowled and looked back up at Asgore.

 

FLOWEY 

What about Toriel? She wont forgive me for what I’ve done, just like she refuses to forgive YOU!

ASGORE 

It just...It hurts her to see the ones she loves dearly do things that are cruel. She expected more from us. It’ll take time, but I believe that we can rebuild our family, even if it means that Toriel and I… your mother and I… will share no more romantic feelings between us.

FRISK 

Besides… you won’t be alone in this. I’ll be there for you too.

 

          Frisk held out her hand and smiled at Flowey.

 

FRISK 

Whaddya say, _Asriel_?

 

          Flowey looked up at them in bewilderment. He honestly couldn’t believe that they were so sure that things would get better with him around. However, Flowey felt something rise up in his throat. It came with a warm feeling, like as if he felt a soul inside him burn with hope. He opened his mouth and only one word came out. He placed his leaf in her hands.

 

FLOWEY 

… Okay.

FRISK 

Great! Oh, I have an idea!

 

          Frisk took her boots off and offered one to Flowey while she held the other boot in her other arm.

 

FRISK 

Get inside! We’ll get a pot for you when we get to mom’s house.

 

          Flowey’s lower lid of his eye twitched in annoyance. However, his annoyance was replaced by a twitch of fear when he saw Frisk looking down at him with that determined stare. He groaned and uprooted himself, climbing into the boot. Flowey grumbled to himself as Frisk, Asgore, and Papyrus walked to Toriel’s home. Frisk sighed, knowing full well that Flowey was going to be a huge task to undertake. She was determined nonetheless.

          Once they arrived at Toriel’s house, Frisk quickly transferred Flowey into a flower pot. She went outside the house and packed the flower pot with dirt. Once she was finished, the group headed to Snowdin Forest. It was so eerily quiet. Frisk frowned a bit, since it reminded her of the genocide runs that she was responsible for. At first, at least. That little fact didn’t change anything about her guilty feelings, though.

          They walked through Snowdin Town, but Papyrus stopped in front of his home.

 

PAPYRUS 

WAIT! I WANT TO CHECK TO SEE IF SANS GOT EVERYTHING. I AM SURE HE DID, BUT HE IS A LAZY BAG OF BONES SOMETIMES! COME, MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!

 

          Papyrus led everyone into his home, and Asgore smiled fondly. There was a touch of familiarity to the home, even though he’s sure he’s never visited it before. He simply dismissed the thought.

 

ASGORE 

This is a lovely home, Papyrus.

PAPYRUS 

THANK YOU, YOU’RE HIGHNESS!

FRISK 

Have you been here before, Flowey?

FLOWEY 

… Once or twice… when that smiley trashbag wasn’t around.

 

          Frisk sighed when she realized that Sans and Flowey will have a harder time getting along.

          Once Papyrus grabbed just a few more things and was finished making sure that Sans took care of everything else, they made their way through to Waterfall. Frisk giggled at Asgore when he tried to put the umbrella over himself once they reached the area of the cave where droplets of water rained down from the ceiling. The umbrella was a little small for Asgore, so he got a little wet anyway. When they reached Hotland, they noticed the large group of evacuating monsters in front of them. Asgore was able to see past them and he saw some their friends in the distance. Alphys, Sans, and Genie were entering Alphys’ lab. Toriel and Undyne, along with other monsters, were helping all the Hotland residents get into the evacuation group. Asgore was able to move through the crowd, allowing Frisk and Papyrus to follow closely behind.

 

ASGORE 

Howdy!

 

          Undyne whipped her head around and grinned. Toriel kept herself turned away from Asgore.

 

UNDYNE 

You guys made it! AWESOME! Think you can help Tori and I-… YOU!!!

 

          Undyne conjured up a spear and pointed it at Flowey.

 

UNDYNE 

What’re YOU doing here?!

FLOWEY 

GET THAT OUT OF MY FACE YOU STINKY SUSHI ROLL!

UNDYNE 

WHAT DID YOU CALL ME? NGAAAH!

 

          Undyne was just about to bring her spear down on Flowey when Asgore suddenly grabbed it, stopping her.

 

ASGORE 

Wait! Let’s not settle this over violence!

UNDYNE 

B-But…!

ASGORE 

Please… We must finish the evacuation. I will explain everything tonight with all of you.

UNDYNE 

FINE. We just need to make sure everyone in Hotland is in this crowd while Alphy, Sans, and Genie are finished in the lab. Alphy wanted to show Genie something and Sans said he needed to pick something up. I have no idea how he would have something to pick up from there, but whatever…

 

          Meanwhile, in the lab, Alphys eagerly took Sans and Genie up to the second floor.

 

ALPHYS 

O-Okay!!! So, Genie, remember when you told me what braille was?

GENIE 

Yeah?

ALPHYS 

Well, pages lined with tiny bumps sounded so familiar to me! You see, we often receive a lot of garbage from the Underground, so one day, while I was down at the dump in Waterfall-...

GENIE 

Why were you in the dump?

ALPHYS 

O-Oh… that’s… that’s not really important! I was just s-searching for something… A-A-Anyway, I found this book! I want to know if there are bumps on it because maybe it’s braille… S-So, do you mind if you could… um… translate it? I-If it’s braille, of course!

 

          Alphys grabbed a white book and placed it in Genie’s hand. Genie felt along the front cover of the book and smiled when she felt the raised dots. Alphys and Sans watched curiously as Genie ran her index finger across the line of raised dots.

 

GENIE 

The Tragedy of Julien and Rosaline, by Sebastian Whitmore.

 

          Alphys grinned excitingly while Sans smiled, impressed.

 

SANS 

huh, would’ve never guessed that those bumps would’ve said somethin’ like that. what’s it about?

GENIE 

There’s a summary of the plot on the back. Here…

 

          Genie flipped the book over and read the summary out loud.

 

GENIE 

"The Tragedy of Julien and Rosaline is the greatest love story ever told. It is a tale of the blossoming love between a young man and woman, despite the feud between their two families. This romantic piece of poetic brilliance has touched the hearts of all, and is one of Sebastian Whitmore’s most finest works of literature."

ALPHYS 

Whoa… that sounds so intense! Do they have ones that I can read on the Surface world?

GENIE 

Oh yeah, tons of them. Also, I’ve read it before and it’s amazing!

SANS 

so… why’s it called a, “tragedy?”

GENIE 

Err… well, you’ll have to read about it for yourself to find out!

ALPHYS 

Can you read a little bit for me? I’m curious!

GENIE 

Sure, just the opening lines should be good.

 

          Genie flipped open the book.

 

GENIE 

"Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Veranza, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."

ALPHYS 

Oh… uh… that sounds s-so… romantic.

 

          Genie giggled and closed the book. She handed it back to Alphys who put it back on her bookshelf.

 

GENIE 

Well, it’s not entirely romantic. It has lots of dark elements to it too, which is why it’s also a tragedy! But enough about that, you two need to pack!

ALPHYS 

R-Right! Oh, but Sans… what IS it that you need from the lab?

SANS 

eh, just some papers I left here a while back before I became a sentry.

GENIE 

Right, you and Papyrus were sentries for the royal guard… What were you before then?

SANS 

nothin' special. just an assistant.

ALPHYS 

Psh, y-yeah, “just an assistant.” Sans was a quantum physicist.

SANS 

still am.

ALPHYS 

Not practicing.

SANS 

exactly.

 

          Genie raised a brow. Sans’ personality and mannerisms, from what she could tell, didn’t match what she would have expected from a quantum physicist. Then again, she really shouldn’t judge someone so quickly.

 

GENIE 

What were you doing at the lab?

SANS 

nothin’ important.

ALPHYS 

He was t-tasked in updating and maintaining the C-Core. You’ll hear it as we make our w-way to the barrier. He w-was also responsible in working with m-me on finding a way to extract D-Determination from… th-the human souls... B-But for some reason he s-still hasn’t told me, h-he quit!

SANS 

it just ain’t my thing anymore. can’t put in effort for somethin’ ya just don’t enjoy as much as before, y’know?

ALPHYS 

B-But, S-Sans, it was s-so sudden-...!

 

           Sans turned and walked down to the first floor so he can go into the lab, he waved as his back was turned to them.

 

SANS 

sorry, alph. gotta get those papers, y’know? can’t keep everyone outside waitin’

 

          Alphys frowned and sighed once she heard the door of the lab shut.

 

ALPHYS 

Th-That man… h-he really shouldn’t be so… s-so silent all the time!

GENIE 

Well, if makes you feel any better, I think he and I are gonna talk about what’s bothering him. So, maybe I’ll get some answers. Though, I’m not gonna go around and spread the word. That’d be disrespectful.

ALPHYS 

W-Well, at least he’ll t-talk to somebody. M-Maybe it’s y-you because… i-it’s something so p-personal that he feels l-like maybe… you’ll… listen w-without judgement?

GENIE 

Yeah, I wouldn’t doubt that. That’s the same reason I’m giving him for agreeing to talk about my own personal problems. I mean, if he’s gonna talk about his with me, then I can feel confident about telling him my problems too, since he’ll understand that it’ll be confidential...

ALPHYS 

Ohh… s-so… it’s… like a date?

 

          Alphys raised a brow while Genie laughed.

 

GENIE 

Pffft, what!? No, no, no… It hasn’t even been 24 hours since I’ve known him, let alone all of you!

ALPHYS 

Well, Frisk went on a date with Papyrus on the same day she met him, remember?

GENIE 

Yeah, but Frisk was just humoring Papyrus and making sure he was having fun… this is a little different...

SANS 

what’s a little different?

 

          Genie didn’t expect Sans to be behind her so suddenly. She turned around quickly but stumbled, falling back into Alphys’ arms, who quickly caught her. Alphys giggled.

 

ALPHYS 

Hee-hee! I knew you would be _f-falling_ for him soon enough!

GENIE 

A-ALPHYS!

SANS 

heh! nice pun, alphy.

ALPHYS 

Thank you! It seemed a-appropriate.

 

          Genie sighed and stood up, thankful that Sans didn’t take Alphys’ pun seriously and didn’t try to continue the awkward conversation that Genie and Alphys were having.

 

GENIE 

Sans, if you’re finished, then help Alphys pack..

SANS 

ok, mom.

 

          Genie pouted as Sans snickered.

 

GENIE 

If I had eyes, I would roll them at you.

SANS 

i would’ve been sure to catch them and roll’em back.

GENIE 

… That was clever.

SANS 

why, thank you.

 

          Genie sat down in a chair that Alphys pulled out for her. Alphys started getting to work while Sans simply used his magic to lift some things off the ground when Alphys needed something. Once Alphys was packed with all the essentials, they all walked out of the lab together.

 

PAPYRUS 

SANS!!!

 

          Sans looked up from the journal he was reading and quickly stuffed it into his jacket. He chuckled as Papyrus lifted him up and hugged him.

 

SANS 

hey, bro! how was the town?

PAPYRUS 

BEAUTIFUL! THE HUMANS WERE SCARED OF US AT FIRST, BUT THE MAYOR CALMED THEM DOWN! THE MAYOR IS A VERY KIND GENTLEWOMAN. I HAVE A LOT TO TELL YOU!

SANS 

great! sounds like-...

PAPYRUS 

SANS.

SANS 

-we have a lot-...

PAPYRUS 

SANS!

SANS 

to _ketchup_ on!

 

          Papyrus immediately dropped Sans, who landed on his feet and was chuckling to himself.

 

PAPYRUS 

I RESCIND MY HUG, BROTHER.

SANS 

aw, come on, bro!

 

          Sans got up and playfully nudged Papyrus’ arm.

 

SANS 

you know you love your _punny_ brother.

 

          Papyrus patted Sans’ head.

 

PAPYRUS 

OF COURSE I LOVE YOU… BUT YOUR PUNS ARE TERRIBLE.

UNDYNE 

HEY! LISTEN UP!

 

          All attention was turned to Undyne, who was standing above the crowd on a boulder. Her loud, booming voice silenced the crowd.

 

UNDYNE 

EVERYONE IN THIS PART OF THE UNDERGROUND IS HERE. EVERYONE FROM THE CAPITAL IS WAITING FOR US IN FRONT OF THE KING’S CASTLE! NOW WE WILL MAKE OUR WAY TO THE BARRIER. THE ELEVATORS JUST CAN’T FIT SO MANY PEOPLE AT ONCE. SO! WE WILL FILE AN ORDERLY LINE AND GO THROUGH THE EVACUATION TUNNELS. FOLLOW ASGORE AND TORIEL. PAPYRUS AND I WILL ESCORT OUR HUMAN FRIEND THROUGH THE ELEVATORS, SINCE SHE’S BLIND, AND I DON’T WANT TO SUBJECT HER TO A TON OF STAIRS. GOT IT? GOOD! NOW GET MOVING!

 

          The large crowd of monsters began to follow Toriel and Asgore. Alphys, Sans, and Frisk decided to go with Undyne and Papyrus since Papyrus was eager to tell them about the meeting. They walked up to the elevator doors and Frisk eagerly pressed the button. It was at this moment that Alphys and Sans saw Flowey in the flower pot. Alphys started getting nervous, and Sans’ eyelights went out. His empty sockets glared daggers at the back of Flowey's head.

 

ALPHYS 

O-OH! H-Hello there, F-Flowey…

FLOWEY 

… Hey, doc.

ALPHYS 

I-I th-thought you didn’t w-want t-to join u-us…?

FLOWEY 

Frisk has convinced herself that I’m, “redeemable,” or whatever.

GENIE 

Well, she’s right.

FLOWEY 

Shut up, you weren’t even there for what I did.

GENIE 

You’re right, but if Frisk has hope for you, then so will I. I trust her judgement, even if she’s just twelve years old.

 

          Flowey whipped his head around at Frisk.

 

FLOWEY 

YOU’RE TWELVE?

FRISK 

Is… that hard to believe?

FLOWEY 

NO, IT’S JUST… Y-You never told us your age, that’s all!

 

          Genie covered her mouth and started snickering to herself. The elevator arrived, and while piling into the elevator, Frisk noticed Genie’s quiet snickering. She looked at Flowey and smirked.

 

FRISK 

Oh… so that’s why.

 

          Flowey furrowed his brows in confusion. He looked at Genie and then back at Frisk. He alternated between them for a while before huffing in frustration.

 

FLOWEY 

What?!

FRISK 

It’s just that, now I know why you freaked out about my age. That’s all…

PAPYRUS 

OH! FLOWEY, WHEN DID YOU DIE WHEN YOU WERE ASRIEL?

FLOWEY 

I was eleven… Why is that important?

PAPYRUS 

PERHAPS YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FRISK’S AGE BECAUSE YOU ARE AROUND THE SAME AGE… SO, MAYBE YOU ARE CONSIDERING THEM AS A POTENTIAL DATE!

 

          Flowey stared at Papyrus in a mixture of horror, shock, and disgust. Genie started laughing with Undyne and Alphys. Frisk wiggled her eyebrows at Flowey and then winked suggestively. Sans shook his head at the ground, chuckling. He hated Flowey with a passion, however, he couldn’t help but be amused by his brother’s suggestion.

 

FLOWEY 

YOU… ARE ALL… ABSOLUTELY STUPID!!! IDIOTS!!! ALL OF YOU!!!

 

          Frisk patted Flowey’s head as she giggled. Alphys noticed how Flowey didn’t slap her hand away or tried to bite it. They got out of the elevator once it reached the third floor, and everyone walked towards the MTT Resort. Once they arrived, Genie scrunched her nose a bit. Undyne noticed.

 

UNDYNE 

What’s up, Genie? You smell something weird?

GENIE 

It smells like… mold.

UNDYNE 

Mold?

ALPHYS 

Wh-Where do you smell mold?

 

          Genie gestured in front of her. It was the Mettaton fountain that was spewing water onto the carpet. When the group looked closely, there were indeed mold spots. They looked back at Genie curiously.

 

UNDYNE 

You can SMELL THAT?

GENIE 

It just smells… like humid garbage.

FLOWEY 

Human garbage? Like you?

GENIE 

No, _humid_ garbage. Good pun, though.

 

          Flowey groaned in frustration and Sans couldn't help but laugh. Flowey despised puns, especially when it came from Sans, so to hear Flowey accidentally acknowledge one made Sans’ day. Flowey glared at Sans, somehow placing the blame on him for his mistake.

          The group continued on to the Core, which made Genie uneasy. She couldn’t place it as to why it was so eerie. It made terrible noises that made it sound like it was going to crash down on top of her at any moment. Papyrus must of spotted Genie’s fear on her face because he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Papyrus figured that such noises would probably be nerve wracking if you couldn’t see where they were coming from. There were also vibrations coming through the floor. Genie winced a bit, the stimulation was a bit too much and she was starting to get nervous.

 

GENIE 

What’s with all these loud noises and vibrating?

FRISK 

It’s from the Core… it’s a big generator.

GENIE 

A big generator?

ALPHYS 

Th-That’s right! It powers the entire Underground!

GENIE 

Amazing…

 

          They went up another elevator and arrived inside the castle. It overlooked New Home, the capital of the Underground. Genie could hear all the people below them as they waited for the group in Hotland to arrive. It took them a little longer to arrive, but once they did, Asgore lead them into the castle. Toriel was silent throughout the trek to the castle. Asgore was also silent, but decided to try to talk to her.

 

ASGORE 

Toriel… we really need to talk. I don’t know when you will be ready, but… I do hope it is soon.

TORIEL 

I don’t want to talk about this right now.

ASGORE 

That’s fine, but we really do need to talk about it soon.

TORIEL 

Why, “soon?”

ASGORE 

Because Frisk needs a stable family… there is also something else, but it is a lot to process. It’d be best to tackle it once we set up the camp.

TORIEL 

Fine.

 

          Toriel and Asgore caught up with Frisk and the others, who were waiting for them outside the gates of the castle. Asgore excused himself so he could pack his things alone. He didn’t have much to pack, but that wasn’t really what was on his mind. Asgore went down to the basement and gasped when he saw the empty coffins. They weren’t truly empty, since there were mummy wrappings inside, but the children’s bodies were gone. He was completely bewildered and confused. He didn’t know what caused their bodies to vanish, but decided to keep this discovery to himself for now. Asgore decided to talk to Fayre about it to see if this was normal for humans, or if this was a strange phenomenon. He quickly left the basement and went back to the group.

 

ASGORE 

I apologize for the wait… let’s get going!

UNDYNE 

ONWARDS, EVERYONE!

 

          Undyne confidently lead the group of monsters through the Judgement Hall. Sans tensed and his eyelights went out. Frisk noticed and gulped, trying to remove the lump of guilt at the back of her throat. She wanted to hold his hand to comfort him, but knew that wouldn’t be a good idea at the moment. They made it through Asgore’s throne room and finally, they passed the barrier.

 

UNDYNE 

MY FELLOW MONSTERS… WELCOME TO THE SURFACE!

 

          All the monsters gasped, entranced by the beautiful sun that was beginning to set.

 

METTATON 

Oh… my… goodness! It’s beautiful! RIGHT, Burgerpants?

 

          The anthropomorphic tabby cat flinched and looked out to the valley and sniffed as waves upon waves of new smells hit his sensitive nose.

 

BURGERPANTS 

It sure is, boss.

 

          A spider girl, named Muffet, widened her eyes. She put a hand to her mouth as she looked towards the human village and city.

 

MUFFET 

All those new customers, just waiting to try my treats! I-It’s so beautiful!

 

          Frisk clenched Flowey’s flower pot and smiled at him.

 

FRISK 

Are you ready to start over, for real?

FLOWEY 

Start over for real…? Oh…

 

          Flowey looked up at the sky and sighed, already bored.

 

FLOWEY 

… Yeah… It’s not like I have anything else to do, anyway…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That is the end of part 1 (A New Beginning) of this story. Chapter 6 will be posted hopefully by the end of the week! A new page for this story won't be made, but the title of the fanfiction will change to: Overtale: Moving Forward once chapter 6 has been posted.


	7. Chapter 6: We Need to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet a new human and he teaches us about human currency! There's a debriefing about Flowey's true identity! Grillby makes a brief appearance!

HENNA 

GENIE!

 

          Genie whipped her head around towards Henna’s voice.

 

GENIE 

Henna!

 

          She giggled when Henna ran to her and hugged her tightly.

 

HENNA 

Man, I was so worried! Glad that you and the others came out safe and sound! How was it?

GENIE 

Amazing!!! The ruins smelled so dusty and old, but the creatures inside sounded adorable! There’s an area of the cave called Snowdin, which is freezing and covered in snow! Then, there’s this really nice place called Waterfall that is very wet and humid, and the water drops from the ceiling like rain! There was also Hotland, which was like being inside a volcano! New Home was the capital, and even though I didn’t get to walk through it, it really sounded like a city! The King’s castle was also very nice, and it was filled with buttercup flowers! It smelled so sweet… Basically, everything was super cool!

HENNA 

That’s great! Oh! Guess who I brought with me? It’s… PETE!

 

          Genie grinned happily as Pete, Henna's fiance, walked up to her.

 

PETE 

Hey, Genie. Haha, Henna was definitely the one who picked out your clothes today.

HENNA 

I did a good job, right? She’s adorable.

 

          Genie giggled and hugged Pete back as he hugged her. When he pulled away, he noticed Frisk.

 

PETE 

Hey, it’s the hero of the monsters!

 

          Frisk looked at Pete and smiled. Pete had tanned skin, was tall, and was a tough-looking guy. He was football player, and had met Henna at a club that she was bar-tending at. Pete was a nice guy, though he can be very blunt with his emotions. He does have a filter, but he wont hold back on giving his honest opinions about something. With his straight, ginger/red hair, dark chocolate-colored eyes, and his signature, handsome smirk, it was no wonder that Henna melted at the sight of him. He was definitely her type, and Frisk immediately appointed herself as Henna’s, “wingman.” Frisk noticed that he and Henna had rings on their fingers, and she smiled confidently, knowing that her efforts brought about the best result.

 

FRISK 

Hi, Pete! How are you? Do anything interesting today?

PETE 

Eh, I’m doing good. I definitely didn’t save the world of monsters, that’s for sure. You know what I did do, though? I fractured my wrist at practice two days ago.

FRISK 

What!?

PETE 

I was climbing the goal post… and I jumped off it to tackle a buddy of mine.

HENNA 

See, this is why when we get a proper house, he won’t be doing any construction work.

GENIE 

Nice...

PETE 

Whatever! So, uh… where are all these friends of yours, Frisk, that Henna talked to me about?

FRISK 

Technically all the monsters in the Underground are my friends! The ones I want you to meet are my BEST friends!

 

          Frisk called the group over and introduced them to Pete. They were helping other monsters set up their camps, but they were eager to stop what they were doing at the moment to meet another human.

 

TORIEL 

Ah, so you must be Henna’s fiance! I’m Toriel, by the way.

PETE 

Nice to meet ya, Toriel! And yep, that’s right!

 

          Pete rested his arm on top of Henna’s head. The height difference between them was staggering.

 

PETE 

She’s a keeper!

HENNA 

Pff, get off!

 

          Pete laughed as he removed his arm from Henna’s head. He winced a bit in pain when Papyrus grabbed his hand to look at his cast.

 

PETE 

Yo, what’re y-...?!

PAPYRUS 

YOU’RE HURT!

PETE 

Uh, yeah.. I broke my wrist… my ulna and radius got fractured. Who are you, by the wa-...?

PAPYRUS 

WHAT?! WE MUST GET YOU HEALED STRAIGHT AWAY!

PETE 

Nah, I’m fine. The nurse already gave me a dose of Healing Magic. My HP is up, and I just gotta let my bones heal.

PAPYRUS 

NONSENSE! YOUR HP IS IRRELEVANT IF YOU ARE STILL WOUNDED!

PETE 

Uhhh, what?

PAPYRUS 

DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL HELP YOU!

 

          Pete stumbled when Papyrus quickly brought him to Muffet’s stand. Everyone else followed the two.

 

PAPYRUS 

MUFFET! MAY I HAVE A SPIDER DONUT?

PETE

A-A what?!

 

          Muffet looked up from the stand she set up. She grinned, her fangs shining in the sunset’s light.

 

MUFFET 

Customer’s already? Fu-hu-hu! I knew the Surface world would be lucrative! That’ll be 9999G!

PAPYRUS 

MUFFET… THAT’S TOO MUCH!

ASGORE 

I’ll get it for him, Muffet.

PETE 

Uhhh… This really isn’t necessary-...!

MUFFET 

Well, well! My first purchase! Here you go!

 

          Muffet grinned and handed Pete a spider donut. She took the bags of gold coins that Asgore handed her and clapped happily. Asgore smiled. Even though it was overpriced, he knew Muffet would need the money. She was definitely going to get her dream bakery.

 

PETE 

Oh… uh, thanks. Why’s it called a spider donut?

MUFFET 

It’s made with the sugary dust of my darling spiders! There’s no reason for their dust to be wasted when they pass away… So I create something new with them!

PETE 

Oh… uh… sugary spider dust, huh? Sounds… interesting?

 

          Pete took a cautious bite and then his face lit up. It tasted like a regular donut, but it was just so sweet. It was so soft and fluffy. If she started selling these down at the village, or even in the city, he knew for a fact that kids would be lining up down the block to get their hands on her pastries. He eagerly ate the rest of of the donut. He gave Muffet a thumbs up.

 

PETE 

That tastes amazing!

MUFFET 

Of course it does, sweetie! Thank you!

PETE 

I’d like to give you some advice, though. 9999G is way too much money to spend on a donut, even one that’s made like this. Humans won’t want anything for that much when it comes to food. You’d sell a lot more and for a lot more money if you keep it affordable.

MUFFET 

Hmmm… how much do donuts cost on the Surface, then?

PETE 

Well, our local bakery sells them for 2Gs.

MUFFET 

12Gs it is!

PETE 

Uh, that’s not-...

ASGORE 

Hold on, humans also still use gold?

PETE 

Huh? Oh, yeah! See?

 

          Pete took out some gold pieces and showed everyone. Each gold piece was worth a different amount of money depending on its shape. Monster gold was different, since each gold coin was worth 1G. Human gold came in seven different sizes and shapes. The round coin was worth 1G, the rounded-square coin was worth 2G, the square coin was 5G, the diamond coin (it was elongated and skinny so that it wasn’t confused with the 5G coin) was 10G, the triangle coin was 20G, the five-pointed star coin was 50G, and lastly, the ten-pointed star coin was 100G. Pete had a couple of each type of coin, and allowed some of the monsters who were curious to take a look at the currency. Even though the variety of gold coins weren’t found within monster currency, the 1G pieces from the humans and from the monsters were virtually identical, and were definitely worth the same amount. However, Pete was unsure if the human government was going to consider the monster’s gold as valid currency. He gathered his gold back from the monsters and put them back in his wallet. While showing them his gold, Pete was able to get everyone’s names properly.

 

PETE 

Our currency isn’t exactly the same, but at least your 1G gold pieces are the same as ours. You can definitely buy stuff with that… hopefully our government won’t stop you.

UNDYNE 

They won’t be able to even if they tried! We need supplies, and even though everything is pretty much set up here, we’re gonna need resettle… PROPERLY! That costs money, so, we’re definitely gonna buy stuff whether your government likes it or not! Plus, we definitely need jobs!

PETE 

You’ll have my support in that! Oh, but, uh… you’ll have to convince everyone else too.

PAPYRUS 

THAT’S WHY WE HAVE FRISK! SHE’S OUR AMBASSADOR! AND ME, THE MASCOT!

PETE 

Yeah, Henna told me about your meeting with the Mayor! She’s a real nice lady. Very classy and reasonable.

PAPYRUS 

YES, YES SHE IS! SO, HOW IS YOUR WRIST?

PETE 

My wrist? It’s fine… wait.

 

          Pete looked down at his wrist. He carefully moved his wrist inside the little space he had inside his cast and widened his eyes. He grabbed his cast and pulled, sliding it off violently. The monsters were taken aback by the display of strength, but recovered before he could notice. Pete moved his wrist around and pressed into it with his fingers.

 

PETE 

What the-.. HOW!? My wrist is healed?!

GENIE 

Your wrist is healed? How's that possible?!

ALPHYS 

M-Monster food has healing effects! I-It’s infused with healing magic. D-Don’t humans have healing magic?

PETE 

We do, but… not like this. This is, like… different. This kind of healing magic is powerful stuff… ours just speeds the process of healing. Your's did it instantly!

HENNA 

That is so cool!!!

TORIEL 

Well, I am glad that you’re fully healed, but… we really should discuss what happened at the meeting… Do you mind, Pete, walking around with Genie and Henna for a bit?

PETE 

Oh, no problem! I understand. Let’s go, babe. You too, Genie.

GENIE 

Fine, but if you kick my cane down again, I’ll rip your eyes out.

HENNA 

That prank was hilarious.

 

          The three of them went silent and then started bursting out laughing. Genie punched their arms playfully as soon as she found them. Fond smiles from the monsters were pointed at their direction. It was nice that some humans were so comfortable around them already. Their laughter got farther away as they walked through the camp. Frisk and her friends decided to make their way outside of the camp. They went into the forest and once they were far enough away from prying eyes, they got comfortable... at least as comfortable as they could on the ground. Toriel sat next to Asgore with Frisk between them, along with Flowey in his flower pot in Frisk's lap. Undyne set a bashful Alphys on her lap. Sans sat down next to Papyrus. Asgore casted a ball of fire in the middle of the circle, and it floated above the ground, shining gently. Asgore, Frisk, and Papyrus explained what happened at the meeting. They started with Flowey’s true identity and background. When they were finished, the group was staring at Flowey. Toriel had a paw to her mouth, shocked. Undyne’s hands were balled up into tight fists, shaking. She was looking at Flowey with a mixture of sympathy and anger. Alphys had her head in her hands, refusing to look at Flowey in the eyes. Sans’ sockets were empty and his usual grin was replaced by an unreadable, blank expression.

 

TORIEL 

Y-You… I… I need a moment…

ASGORE 

Tori wai-...!

 

          Toriel got up and left the group as she walked deeper into the surrounding forest. Asgore hurried after her.

 

FLOWEY 

Well, that wasn’t surprising.

UNDYNE 

How can you be so nonchalant about this, Asriel?

 

          Suddenly, Flowey’s face contorted into a horrific expression and he glared at Undyne.

 

FLOWEY 

I’m... FLOWEY!

 

          Flowey’s voice was as loud as thunder, and it sounded as if two people were talking at the same time. Undyne banged her fist to the ground.

 

UNDYNE 

NO! You’re Asriel! This isn’t you, and you know it!

FLOWEY 

That’s-...! Are you an IDIOT?

UNDYNE 

No, just somebody who knows that you are better than this! If Frisk can help me change, then she can help you change too! We ALL can!

FLOWEY 

What the-... WHY THE HELL DO YOU CARE SO MUCH!?

UNDYNE 

BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS DO!

FLOWEY 

I DON’T UNDERSTAND!!!

 

          Undyne’s tense expression softened when she noticed that Flowey started to cry. Flowey tightly closed his eyes and lowered his head. His petals drooped.

 

FLOWEY 

I j-just… don’t… understand… Why do you all have so much hope for me? Sure, I can feel all these negative feelings, but how could you all be so sure… so SURE that I can feel anything else?

PAPYRUS 

ISN’T IT OBVIOUS?

 

           Flowey looked at Papyrus.

 

PAPYRUS 

IT’S BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN YOU! ANYONE CAN CHANGE, IF THEY TRY HARD ENOUGH. SO, WE KNOW YOU CAN TOO! WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS NOW, AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP!

 

          Flowey stayed silent, and the rest of the group tried to comfort him. In the meantime, Asgore was still trying to find Toriel. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but since it revolved around their son, he didn’t feel comfortable with letting her suffer alone. She always had a problem of not telling others her troubles, and hiding away was a bad habit of hers. Even though she usually went that far for reasons Asgore understood, it didn’t solve anything. Finally, Asgore saw her sitting in the middle of a small clearing, where the tops of the trees framed the night sky if one were to look up. Toriel was doing just that, staring up into the sky, silently.

 

TORIEL 

Leave me alone, Asgore.

ASGORE 

How did you know it was me?

TORIEL 

I know those heavy footsteps anywhere.

ASGORE 

… I see… well… We need to talk. You can’t suffer alone like this. Please, Tori…

TORIEL 

Asgore, please.

ASGORE 

No. I need to be there for you. This isn’t about our-… about what we had. This is about Asriel. Talk to me.

TORIEL 

You wouldn’t understand.

ASGORE 

Wouldn’t understand what?

TORIEL 

YOU WOULDN’T UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS TO FAIL YOUR HUSBAND AND YOUR CHILDREN.

 

          Toriel’s voice bursted in between sobs, and its echo bounced off the surrounding trees. Asgore stared at Toriel in surprise, his thoughts swam with millions of questions before settling on a more simpler one in his head.

 

_ASGORE_

_What?_

ASGORE 

Tori… you didn’t fail our family…

 

          Toriel turned around with a angry expression on her face while hot tears poured out the corners of her eyes.

 

TORIEL 

Oh?! I didn’t fail our family?! The first time I failed? My children were plotting a suicide in order to cross the barrier and take human souls without my knowledge which resulted in their DEATHS. Then, I fail my husband because he declares war on humanity in a blind rage, and instead of confronting him about it and calming him down, I just ran away into the Ruins! Oh! I failed our child, Asriel! I didn’t bother investigating who Flowey truly was and swatted him away like as if he were some kind of pest, when in reality he was just a soulless flower that didn’t know any better!

ASGORE 

Tori… You and I both know you couldn’t have known about the plot our children made, and neither could you have known who Flowey was. When it comes to you leaving? I was mourning and took it out on everyone else… I didn’t even consult you first. I was going to force you into that kind of climate, without any concern for your own wellbeing. Worst of all, I declared war and vilified the very same race as our own child, Chara. You left me because you were… angry, afraid, and mourning. Just like me. We just dealt with it differently… were they good decisions? No… but we made those decisions.

 

          Asgore walked over to Toriel and knelt down in front of her as she wept.

 

ASGORE 

That is the past. We must move forward… for the sake of the child we still have left.

 

          Toriel looked up at Asgore as soon as he spoke that statement, that fact. She wiped away her tears on her sleeve, and when she uncovered her face, she found Asgore’s paw stretched out in front of her. It was shaking with nervousness and uncertainty. Toriel took a deep breath and sighed. She took his hand and Asgore helped her to stand back up. Toriel took her hand away.

 

TORIEL 

You’re… right. You’re right. I’m sorry.

ASGORE 

I know it won’t make up for what I did, but… for what it’s worth, I’m sorry too... Now, let's get back.

 

          Toriel gave Asgore a pained, weak smile and they both walked together back to the group. Once they arrived, the attention was turned to them. They both forced a smile.

 

SANS 

everythin' okay, you two?

TORIEL 

Yes, Sans… I suppose you COULD say that I’m feeling a little  _ignited_ about teaching Flowey how to feel positive again.

SANS 

Heh-heh-heh! Sounds like a _blast_!

FLOWEY 

Oh nooo, please don’t start!

 

          Everyone laughed while Undyne, Papyrus, and Flowey rolled their eyes, but Undyne and Papyrus were smiling at least. Toriel walked up to Flowey and knelt down.

 

TORIEL 

Flowey, I am sorry.. for what I did to you.

FLOWEY 

I deserved it, so it’s fine!

TORIEL 

You don’t deserve-...!

FLOWEY 

You don’t get to decide what I do or don’t deserve!

TORIEL 

Oh, yes I do. Whether you like it or not, I am  _still_ your mother. So, I say that what you actually deserve is-…

 

          Flowey flinched when Toriel gently cupped his cheeks in her hands.

 

TORIEL 

… -mercy.

 

          Flowey widened his eyes. Flowey’s face, for just a moment, resembled Asriel’s.

 

TORIEL 

Asriel?

 

          Flowey snapped away from Toriel and immediately burrowed into his flower pot. Some bit of silence passed before Asgore broke it.

 

ASGORE 

Well… I think that’ll be it from Flowey for today. Let’s continue talking about the meeting.

 

          Asgore explained how he would be talking to the dead human children’s families. He also stated that they were welcome to visit the village, however…

 

ASGORE 

We cannot allow everyone to venture into the village just yet. It must be gradual, so that there isn’t a big shock from the villagers. It should not take too long. It would help us to invite humans to our camp!

PAPYRUS 

YES! SO, WE MUST MAKE FRIENDS!

ASGORE 

Exactly!

TORIEL 

But what will we do for money in the meantime? There’s a chance that they won’t accept our gold...

ALPHYS 

M-Maybe the Mayor will have an idea? She seems nice enough…

PAPYRUS 

GREAT IDEA! WE SHOULD SPEAK WITH MISS FAYRE ABOUT THIS! PERHAPS TOMORROW?

ASGORE 

That sounds good! We should get back to the camp and inform everyone about what we talked about. Except what we discussed about Flowey… I believe that he has had enough attention.

 

          They all stood up and returned to the camp. Henna and Pete walked up to them.

 

HENNA 

Hey, this camp is turning out pretty cool! It’s getting late, though, so I think Pete and I are gonna go turn in. Genie says she wants to stay a little longer, though. Not sure why. She’s at Grillby’s tent eating some fries… all she told me was that she was waiting for somebody.

PETE 

Can one of you guys keep an eye on her, just in case?

 

          Toriel was about to respond before Sans interrupted her.

 

SANS 

i can do that… i’m good at keep a socket out for humans… right, frisk?

 

          Frisk gave Sans the most deadpanned expression she could muster. Sans winked and chuckled.

 

SANS 

welp, see ya guys later!

 

          Sans split from the group, waving to people as they greeted him while he walked by. He found Grillby’s stand, and sitting there was Genie. The table was low to the ground, and she was sitting on a pillow so she could sit comfortably as she ate. She heard footsteps approaching her as Sans walked up to her.

 

SANS 

heard you were waitin' up for someone.

GENIE 

Yep, and that someone is you, Sans. We’re supposed to talk.

 

          Sans sat down on a pillow to the right of Genie. He raised a brow bone when Grillby stared at him. Grillby was sitting on the ground, cleaning a pan in a bucket of soap water. He pointed at Genie, and then pointed at Sans. He repeated his motions until the meaning snapped into Sans’ mind. Sans’ cheekbones flushed a blue color and then he immediately pointed at Grillby and “zipped” his mouth closed. The last thing Sans wanted was for Grillby to say something completely unnecessary and embarrassing.

 

GENIE 

So are we going to talk, or am I just going to sit here in silence?

 

          Sans flinched and Grillby started snickering. Sans narrowed his eyes at Grillby, and then looked at Genie.

 

SANS 

sorry, genie. i wasn't plannin' on talkin' here, though. i'm takin' you somewhere else.

GENIE 

Fine, but I’m keeping my fries.

SANS 

ok.

 

          Sans put his hand on her shoulder gently and flipped Grillby off as they shortcut away. Grillby watched them, smirking. He wasn’t a stranger to Sans’ shortcuts, so it didn’t faze him much. He chuckled.

 

GRILLBY 

How amusing.

 

         Genie could feel her ears pop and the space around her contract and twist around. It was the strangest sensation she had ever felt. However, as quickly as it came... it stopped. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The faster I write future chapters, the earlier the updates you all receive. So hurray! By the way, Chapter 7 will be coming out next week.
> 
> Chapter I am currently writing: Chapter 12.


	8. Chapter 7: Nighttime Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genie and Sans finally get the time to vent about their troubles. Turns out they both have secrets to confess.

          Genie put a hand on her head, the feeling of dizziness starting to subside. She was thankful that she was still sitting, or else she probably would have fallen over.

 

GENIE 

Whoa… what the hell was that?

SANS 

just took a little shortcut, that’s all.

GENIE 

A shortcut to where? We didn’t even get up to walk… where are we?

SANS 

the underground… this is the judgement hall.

GENIE 

Did we just magically appear in here?

SANS 

yep.

GENIE 

You can teleport?

SANS 

obviously.

GENIE 

That’s pretty cool…

SANS 

i guess...

GENIE 

… So… What do you wanna get off your chest?

 

          Sans thought for a moment and then sighed. He laid back, letting the plush hood of his jacket provide some cushion for his skull against the hard tiles of the hall. He stared hard at the ceiling as he spoke. He didn’t want to see Genie’s reaction to what he was about to divulge to her. In fact, he really didn’t want to see anyone’s reaction to it. Even though it was out of his hands, he still felt like the reactions would be his fault. He spoke softly, his voice echoed gently throughout the hall.

 

SANS 

yesterday you said you felt really tired, even though you felt as if you slept longer than you actually did. right? like, you were sure that you got tons of hours of sleep, but it felt like you didn’t get any?

GENIE 

Yeah… it was a weird day, I guess.

SANS 

i think i know why.

GENIE 

Oh… really?

SANS 

yeah... ya know anything about quantum physics?

GENIE 

Not at all.

SANS 

well.. back in the underground, a long time ago, i used to work with dr. alphys in the lab. i studied and experimented with all sorts of theories in the field of physics. i stopped workin' there because it was just really tirin' and it was gettin' borin'… among other things... anyway, when the kid fell down to the underground… things… changed. i got really invested in what’s called the timeline theory. to put it simply, we are all livin' in a timeline. theoretically, if we could time travel, we could go back in time and change the timeline by doin' somethin' different to it. for example, within my normal timeline, i could eat at grillby's, take a nap, and then start work. but what if i wanted to take a nap first and then go to grillby's and then go to work? theoretically, i could use time travel to go back in time and do exactly that, and it would change the future of the timeline. well, i found out the hard way that… such a theory wasn’t a theory at all. that kind of power… the ability to reset a timeline and play with it just to see what changes… is real.

GENIE 

How do you know it’s real, and how does it relate to my sleeping?

SANS 

frisk has that power, genie… and she’s been resettin' the timeline back to when she would first fall into the underground or to her last save point. she can use the power of determination to reset everythin' to the beginning, or to a specific point in time, which i call save points, since they always seemed to be at the same points in the timeline every time. even now, she could decide that she didn’t like how all this turned out, and she could just reset it all. Monsters go back into the underground… you go back to sleep.

GENIE 

H-Hold on… are you trying to say that when Frisk would completely reset the timeline, she would go back to the day and moment she fell into the Underground, and I was sleeping at that time? Then why was I so tired? Frisk has been missing for two days. So I would’ve woken up from an uninterrupted, reset-free sleep on the second day, which was when you guys left the underground.

SANS 

it might be because frisk didn’t fall down to the underground during the first day… she fell down during the second day

GENIE 

Ohh… yeah, it would take a while for a child to go up Mt. Ebott alone… so it must’ve taken her almost the whole day to get up there. Anyway, so... I was sleepy because she would reset back to when I was sleeping. So the first time she fell, there was no reset, so that means I really did get a full good night of sleep. But, when she reset for the first time, and every time after that, I would be awake during the timeline, Frisk would completely reset, and then I would go back to sleep but only for a few hours? That means I didn’t get enough sleep, even though I was sure that I slept for as long as I was supposed to?

SANS 

you got it.

GENIE 

That’s… so confusing.

SANS 

yep.

GENIE 

So… since Frisk would reset the timeline if she didn’t like what she ended up with-...

SANS 

Or if she died.

GENIE 

What!?

SANS 

frisk was so determined, she could reset the timeline even after she would get killed by a monster.

GENIE 

That’s-… Okay, well, that’s not exactly something I’m thrilled to hear about. Anyway, what would she change in the timeline so that she could get what she wanted? She obviously wanted something... So... why?

 

          Sans had his hands in his jacket's pockets, and he balled them into tight, shaking fists. It wasn’t just what Frisk did in the timelines something that he absolutely hated to think about, but it was that question as to, “why,” that jarred him to his soul. Sans took in a deep, quiet breath through his teeth.

 

SANS 

that's what i wanted to know. problem is, when frisk resets, i lose parts of my memories from the previous timeline. some of it remains, but most of it is lost. that happens to everyone else besides frisk, too. so, i decided to keep a journal and log the differences within each timeline. i use my magic to manipulate time around the journal, allowing it to stay untouched by the resets. it was a small, inanimate object, so it was easier to do and keep up with... anyways, as i gathered more information, i noticed that there were three routes that the kid would go through. i called them, “pacifist,” “neutral,” and, “genocide.”

 

          Sans frowned a bit at the silence Genie responded with, but continued. It was hard to talk about this, especially to a woman who held Frisk so dearly to her heart.

 

SANS 

yeah, you heard that last route right. the pacifist route is where frisk would befriend every single monster and she would help free us from the surface. the neutral route is a toss up. she might not befriend everyone, or she might kill only some or one of us, just to see how it would affect the timeline.

 

          Sans glanced at Genie, and wished he hadn’t. Genie was facing forward, so he couldn’t see her face since he was laying back. What he could see was the way her shoulders started trembling, and with a shaky grip, she put down her fries. Sans wanted to stare back up at the ceiling, but he continued watching Genie’s reactions.

 

SANS 

then… there’s the genocide route. she would kill every single monster in the entire underground. why she would do that, i don’t know. all i know is that the first time she did that, everythin' changed. She would come back repeatedly, doin' any run she felt like doin'. it didn’t matter to me… i just gave up and vented about what happened in my journal since that's all that seemed to sort of comfort me…  i noticed that timelines were pretty much the same every time, at least in terms of what people would say and do in specific points of the timeline. however, something changed in the last genocide run. It was just before this timeline…

 

          Sans described to Genie the events as they replayed in his head (A/N: Please note that the following statement from Sans comes directly from his fight with Frisk during Undertale's genocide route).

 

_SANS_

_sounds strange, but before all this i was secretly hoping we could be friends. i always thought the anomaly was doing all this cause they were unhappy. and when they got what they wanted, they would stop all this. and maybe all they needed was. . . i dunno. some good food, some bad laughs, some nice friends. but that's ridiculous, right? yeah, you're the type of person who won't EVER be happy._

 

_Sans was about to attack until he watched Frisk drop to her knees and put her head down with her fingers digging into her hair. Frisk shrieked out her next words, which took Sans off-guard, and so he paused. Frisk would barely speak during a genocide run. This was new._

 

_FRISK_

_STOP IT!!!_

_SANS_

_heh… kid, c’mon… that’s my line. besides, it’s too late for someone like you to do that now, don’t you think?_

_FRISK_

_No… that wasn’t for you._

 

_Frisk quickly looked forward, straight into Sans’ eyes. Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks. Sans was taken off-guard by the strange statement and behavior.This was definitely new._

 

_FRISK_

_I’m done._

_SANS_

_…. what?_

_FRISK_

_I don’t want to fight anymore… I’m.. tired of all this…!_

 

_Sans frowned and closed his sockets. Annoyance starting to build inside him. He opened his sockets, his left eye was shining with flickering light blue and yellow lights. He outstretched his hand and encased Frisk's red, determined soul in his blue magic._

 

_SANS_

_ya’know.. i consider myself a pretty funny guy… but i don’t think i can bring myself to laugh anymore, kid… not really... so don’t joke around._

_FRISK_

_I’m being serious, Sans! Please… I-I’m… I’m sorry…_

_SANS_

_i already gave you a chance…_

_FRISK_

_I KNOW! I… I know.. please… I just… Now that I'm here, please just let me make this all right._

_SANS_

_what do ya mean? you’re not makin’ any sense, kid..._

_FRISK_

_I messed up.. and ever since then I’ve been spiraling out of control. I’m going to stop all this… once and for all._

_SANS_

_kid…?_

_FRISK_

_See you in the next run, Sans..._

 

_Sans watched in shock as Frisk grabbed her own soul and raised her knife._

 

_SANS_

_whoa, kid, hold on. what are y-...?!_

 

_Both of Sans’ sockets went dark when Frisk brought the knife down on her own soul. Then, just like so many times before, time shifted backwards._

 

          Sans fell silent when he finished, allowing Genie to process everything. Her voice was serious and quiet when she did finally speak up.

 

GENIE 

How many times did Frisk go genocidal?

SANS 

she’s done 420 runs in total. 137 of them were pacifist runs, 73 were neutral runs, and then 210 of them were genocide runs. it was mostly pacifist runs with peaceful neutral runs in the beginnin'… then the first genocide run happened and everything changed. pacifist and peaceful neutral runs became less common… and then genocide and murderous neutral runs became the norm.

GENIE 

… This doesn’t make sense.. This is so out of character for Frisk.

SANS 

maybe ya don’t know her as well as ya think ya do.

 

          Genie visibly bristled and turned back to face Sans.

 

GENIE 

Don’t you DARE-...!

SANS 

it HAPPENED, genie. frisk murdered monsters in cold dust, sometimes even after a monster would spare her just to see how they would react to betrayal. i don’t know what’s going on with her now, but… i just hope it’s permanent.

 

          Genie stayed quiet for a moment.

 

GENIE 

… We need to help Frisk, Sans… There’s something wrong with her. I mean… something about her obviously changed. So we should find out what happened. It’s not normal for someone to just suddenly start murdering people.

SANS 

“we?” genie… are you sure you wanna get involved with this?

GENIE 

I’m sure. Frisk is like family to me, and I don't want her to feel helpless.

SANS 

but your blindness…

GENIE 

It’ll be fine.

SANS 

… heh… you sure are determined if you think it won’t be a problem.

GENIE 

Well… I am only human.

SANS 

heh… yep… only human...

GENIE 

… Sans.

SANS 

yeah?

GENIE 

Thank you for telling me all that. I can tell it’s been eating away at you.

SANS 

… and thank you for listening. It must’ve been hard to _swallow_.

GENIE 

Yeah, it-... oh.

 

          Sans snorted and Genie chuckled softly, shaking her head.

 

SANS 

so, what about you?

GENIE 

What about me?

SANS 

ya seemed pretty bothered when paps asked ya where your parents were. he probably just wanted to talk to them or something... but the way ya dodged the question made it obvious that paps’ question stabbed ya in your soul.

GENIE 

Oh, yeah, well… I guess you could say it did. Don’t tell anyone about this, okay? I honestly don’t want the others to worry more about me more than they already have.

SANS 

got it.

GENIE 

I actually wasn’t born blind. I had eyes when I was a baby, but lost them due to my… other condition. It’s called, “Hyper Magic Output,” or, “Hyper-MO.” It basically means that I have too much excess magic, which causes damage to my physical body, and sometimes my soul. There’s so much magic being released by my soul, that if I try to use it, then it would explode from my soul and the pressure can cause internal bleeding. For some people, the force of the magic trying to escape is so strong, it could cause vomiting, or… your eyes could be, er… lost. I lost my eyes when I was two years old after a child pushed me and I went after them to defend myself. I don’t remember much about it, but… my parents told me about the story.

 

           Genie frowned. She didn’t remember the incident, but she could never forget the excruciating pain of magic forcing itself out her skull.

 

SANS 

and your parents?

GENIE 

They both had it too… and they passed away from it.

 

         Sans widened his sockets and shot up to a sitting position.

 

SANS 

genie, are ya going to…?

GENIE 

No, I’m not. Every person has a limit as to how many attacks they can survive. I’ve only had three attacks. My mom survived twelve and my dad survived sixteen. To prevent me from having any more attacks, we moved out of the city and into Goudenbloem. People are more friendly and everything was more quiet… surprising, I know.

SANS 

yeah..

GENIE 

Since my parents passed away, I really couldn’t bare being in the same house. So, I decided to live on Mt. Ebott.  I live off their inheritance and the profit I made from selling the house, which is what they wanted for me anyway. We talked about selling that house for a long time, and they wanted to leave me enough money for me to live a simple life without any worries if they ever passed away. It helps that they worked for the Council of Magic.

 

          Sans couldn’t help but peak his curiosity at that last bit, but didn’t interrupt. Genie sighed quietly.

 

GENIE 

Their deaths were… too much to handle. I never thought I would be able to live up to my soul’s trait after that. My mother’s magic attack was brought on due to getting mugged while walking home from dinner with some friends. My dad’s attack happened after he found out about what happened to my mom and was… accidental. He had a panic attack, and it was so violent, that it triggered a magic attack, which is what the expelling of magic from our bodies is called... It happened right next to me, and being someone who’s blind, well… you can hear much better than other people.

 

          Genie frowned and her hands tightened into fists. The memory of hearing what a fatal magic attack sounded like was uncomfortable… especially when it came from her father. She was powerless to help him. Genie relaxed a bit when she felt Sans put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

SANS 

hey, if it’s any consolation, i know how ya feel.

GENIE 

You do?

SANS 

Yeah… i’m not sure if i’m ready to talk about it yet. hell, i don’t even think i’ve even tried to think too deeply about it for a really long time. but, uh… i knew a guy, and he didn’t die in a smooth, peaceful way either…

GENIE 

I see… well, you wanna know the bright side to all this?

SANS 

yeah?

GENIE 

There isn’t any…

SANS 

… what-...?

GENIE 

Because it’s nighttime.

SANS 

pff, that was terrible.

GENIE 

You’re the one influencing me.

SANS 

i would do a pun by using my blue magic on you so I could ask you to not feel so, “blue,” but unfortunately for me, you’re blind.

GENIE 

Oh, yeah, unfortunately for YOU.

 

          Genie playfully punched Sans’ shoulder once she found it and he couldn’t help but snicker.

 

SANS 

sorry, sorry!

GENIE 

No you’re not.

SANS 

heh! not really.

GENIE 

… We should really get back.

SANS 

probably.

GENIE 

Think you can shortcut me home?

SANS 

sure.

 

          Sans put his hand on Genie’s shoulder and he shortcut them to her home. They both stood up and Sans led Genie to her front door. Genie opened the door and started to walk inside, but stopped.

 

GENIE 

Sans?

SANS 

yeah?

GENIE 

… Don’t lose hope… okay?

SANS 

… ok.

 

         Sans watched as Genie walked inside and closed the door behind her. He shoved his hands in his pockets and used a shortcut to arrive at the entrance of the monster camp. Everyone was getting ready for the night, so Sans headed straight to find him and his brother’s tent. Sans smiled when he spotted it from far away. It was decorated in Giftmas lights. Sans, “knocked,” on the entrance to the tent.

 

SANS 

knock knock.

PAPYRUS 

NO.

 

         Sans rolled his eyelights, grinning, and went inside the tent. He was too tired to finish the knock knock joke. Talking about emotional subjects took a lot out of him... as if Sans needed any more reminders about how easy it was for him to get exhausted.

 

PAPYRUS 

HOW WAS IT?

SANS 

pretty good, we just talked for a bit.

PAPYRUS 

WELL, I’M GLAD YOU HAD FUN!

SANS 

thanks, bro. So what’ll it be tonight?

PAPYRUS 

MY FAVORITE, PLEASE!

  
         Sans searched through his bag and pulled out Papyrus’ favorite bedtime story, _The Fluffy Bunny._ Once Papyrus was situated, Sans read to him quietly. He closed the book as soon as he was sure that Papyrus was sleeping. Sans' sleeping bag was on the other side of the tent. He laid on top of it and, for once in a really long time, he _voluntarily_ dozed off for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 is here! I am currently working on chapter 12, so chapter 8 will be edited and finalized by this month and then posted on the first of April. Things start to get a little more exciting from now on, I promise.
> 
> By the way, here is a little order of events to help you with Frisk's timeline and Genie's during the time the Frisk fell to the underground:  
> Day 1: Frisk leaves Goudenbloem and goes missing. Genie and Henna find out and report to the authorities. Frisk climbs Mt. Ebott.  
> Day 2: Frisk arrives to the pit inside the cave of Mt. Ebott during the very early morning (some time after midnight and before daylight) and falls down. Genie is sleeping when Frisk falls. So, when Frisk does a true reset, she is back to lying on the bed of flowers and Genie goes back to being in the middle of sleeping. Imagine being awake throughout the whole day, you are suddenly sleeping due to a reset only to then be woken up a few hours later. That's why Genie was so tired. She didn't know that she only had a couple hours of sleep, and was under the impression that she had a full night of sleep due to the wiping of memories that resets cause.
> 
> I wasn't sure if that was confusing, but I felt like it might've been. I hope that helps. <3  
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments! <3


	9. Chapter 8: Confessions and Explorations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fayre takes Asgore and Toriel to meet with the parents of the fallen children to tell them of their children's fate. They also give something back to the community!
> 
> Frisk takes her friends, Flowey, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys, to go explore some parts of Goudenbloem!

          The clear morning sky was colored a beautiful light blue. The summer air was fresh and cool, and it welcomed Frisk and her friends with open arms. As they walked into the village, they were welcomed with the gorgeous sight of golden buttercup flowers everywhere. Some of the petals would even flow through the occasional breeze that would drift by. The villagers were looking at the monsters, now unsure of how to feel about knowing that they'll be a constant presence in their village. Before there could be a repeat of yesterday, Fayre approached them. She walked with confidence which intimidated the villagers and discouraged them from becoming too rowdy. She was not a woman to be messed with. She was carrying a black, plastic folder in her arm.

 

FAYRE 

Welcome! I see that there are some new faces, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fayre, and I’m the Mayor of the village of Goudenbloem.

TORIEL 

It’s nice to finally meet you, miss Fayre! This is Sans, Alphys, and Undyne. I’m Toriel!

FAYRE 

Oh, Toriel! Just the woman I wanted to see.

 

          Fayre opened her folder and handed her some forms for her to sign.

 

TORIEL 

What are these?

 

          Fayre smiled.

 

FAYRE 

Adoption papers… In order to prevent Frisk from being taken away by the human government, assuming that they’d be so soulless to do that, then we need you to become her legal guardian. So, go ahead and fill in what you can, and I’ll take care of the rest.

TORIEL 

Oh, miss Fayre, thank you so much!

 

          Fayre handed over the folder to Toriel and looked through it with her so she could explain anything that confused her. Frisk giggled excitingly, hugging Flowey’s pot to her chest in a warm hug.

 

FRISK 

Isn’t this great, Flowey?

FLOWEY 

Why’s it so great?

FRISK 

Because we’ll be a family! Siblings!

FLOWEY 

... As if you could ever replace Chara.

FRISK 

Flowey… I’m not trying to replace her.

 

          Frisk felt the beginning of a headache softly pound in her skull and inwardly stamped it down.

 

FRISK 

I just don’t have a family to go back to, and now I do! You don’t have to consider me a sibling… will, "friend," be enough?

FLOWEY 

… Fine.

TORIEL 

Children!

 

          Frisk and Flowey looked over at Toriel.

 

TORIEL 

Please go with Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys and explore the village! Asgore and I will be accompanying Fayre to the meetings. Be safe!

UNDYNE 

No problem, Tori!

TORIEL 

Good! Don’t have too much _pun_ without me!

SANS 

we’ll be sure to have the time of our _laugh_!

PAPYRUS 

I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY TO BE RUINED BY TERRIBLE PUNS!!!

 

         Everyone laughed as Papyrus hurried the group away from Toriel, Asgore, and Fayre. Toriel smiled when she caught glimpses of the human villagers’ smiling as well. That was a good sign. Toriel and Asgore turned to Fayre when she cleared her throat to get their attention.

 

FAYRE

So, Asgore, Toriel, come with me so we can meet with the families. Oh, and just so you know, I couldn’t find any of Chara’s family members. It doesn’t seem like she left much behind when you found her.

 

          Asgore and Toriel frowned at this. They suspected as much, since Chara didn’t share a favorable opinion about humans. Chara also refused to speak about anything concerning her family, and insisted on staying with the Dreemurr family. They never asked why and were afraid to push such a sensitive subject.

          Fayre led them into the government building and into a long hallway. Along the hallway were several small rooms. They were small interview rooms, but they were big enough to fit Asgore, Toriel, and the family members of each fallen child. Fayre would wait outside to give them the privacy they needed for such a sensitive conversation. They met with each and every one of the families, telling the story of how each child met their fate over cups of tea. (A/N: The following dialogue takes place as Toriel and Asgore take turns to explain to each family what happened to the children. Since it would be repetitive, I put the dialogues together. Each child is listed in rainbow order. So from the child that has the orange soul to the child with the purple soul!)

 

TORIEL 

I found

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

…  Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

In the Ruins.

 

… Steve playfully wrestled with the dummy...

… Wyatt threatened the dummy with his toy gun...

… Giordana hugged the dummy and offered to cook it food...

… Gabriel tied a faded ribbon around the dummy’s neck ...

… Diana danced with the dummy…

… Emily read a book to the dummy…

 

… Steve was very independent...

… Wyatt was very independent...

… Giordana was very dependent...

… Gabriel was very dependent...

… Diana was very independent…

… Emily was very dependent…

 

… Steve loved cinnamon...

… Wyatt loved cinnamon...

… Giordana loved butterscotch...

… Gabriel loved butterscotch...

… Diana loved cinnamon…

… Emily loved butterscotch…

 

… Steve didn’t like cinnamon with butterscotch...

… Wyatt didn’t mind cinnamon with butterscotch...

… Giordana didn’t mind butterscotch with cinnamon...

… Gabriel didn’t mind butterscotch with cinnamon...

… Diana didn’t like cinnamon with butterscotch…

… Emily didn’t like butterscotch with cinnamon…

 

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

… Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

Loved my baked pie, regardless of the flavor.

 

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

… Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

Wanted to go home.

 

I could not stop

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

… Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

From leaving.

 

I failed to protect

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

… Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

… and I am so sorry...

          

          After Toriel spoke to the families, Asgore would finish the story with how they perished.

 

ASGORE 

… Steve was captured in Snowdin Town...

… Wyatt was captured in front of MTT-Resort in Hotland...

… Giordana was captured in Hotland...

… Gabriel was captured in front of the entrance to the Ruins in Snowdin Forest...

… Diana was captured in Waterfall…

… Emily was captured in front of Gerson’s shop…

 

… Steve was ready to fight...

… Wyatt was ready to fight...

… Giordana wasn’t ready to fight...

… Gabriel wasn’t ready to fight...

… Diana was ready to fight…

… Emily wasn’t ready to fight…

 

… Steve fought valiantly...

… Wyatt fought valiantly...

… Giordana refused to fight...

… Gabriel refused to fight...

… Diana fought valiantly…

… Emily refused to fight…

 

Their dying words were…

… I’m gonna be a hard pill to swallow, asshole, so you better be ready when you absorb my soul... so, bring it on…

… You don't have a good reason to have the power of seven human souls, but I guess Kings like you can say anything to their people to justify their actions…

… I know you don't want to do this, and you just want to free your people, so I forgive you…

… Please take your time to think about what you're about to do, and if you make the choice I think you're going to make, then please just make it quick…

… You hide behind a mask of smiles and gentleness, so I hope killing me will teach you a lesson in being honest with the fact that you can be just as bad as you monsters say _we_ are…

… Maybe being a soul won't be so bad... after all, there's really nothing I can do right now that'll change your mind, so I might as well get used to the thought of being reduced to a soul…

 

I killed...

… Steve...

… Wyatt...

… Giordana...

… Gabriel...

… Diana…

… Emily…

So that I could use their souls to destroy the barrier. I am sorry.

 

          The reactions from the families towards Asgore's confessions were surprising. As a whole, the families forgave Toriel for her actions, but their reactions towards Asgore were more complicated and varied.

 

My little brother, Steve, was adventurous back then… After hearing about our great-grandfather's adventures during the Great War, Steve wanted to face the monster’s head-on. We thought he was kidding...

My eldest of my four sons, Wyatt, wanted to know for himself if the monsters in Mount Ebott truly deserved the punishment they received by the Council of Magic...

Giordana, my only child, was too kind for this world, and she deserved better friends… maybe that's why she tried her luck with the monsters of the Underground...

… My grandson, Gabriel, got into a fight with his brother, and so he ran away… at least we know where he went...

… My sister, Diana, ran away after being embarrassed by these bullies during her ballet recital, and she never came home that night…

… Emily, my little niece, was always quiet and shy, but we had no idea that she was suffering in silence…

 

… You took his soul, the outcome we were most afraid of, but I can tell you were desperate...

… My son was always a good judge of character, but I think he was too harsh on you...

… I can see the guilt and sorrow on your face while talking about what you did, so I know you deeply regret it...

… I know it must have been hard to wait all those decades before you could free your people, and I think he did too...

… I trust that you told us the truth and are being honest with how you felt about this whole situation…

… She always knew how to adapt through every situation, despite her troubles…

 

… Everything you did was to save your people, which is a brave choice to make...

… Although your actions could never be justified, I think you were put in a position where no option you could've chose would result in the perfect solution...

… What you did wasn't kind, but it was necessary for the survival of monsterkind...

… The amounts of patience that you have is astonishing, and so I can understand why you were so desperate to gather his soul...

… I can see that you are a man of integrity that was forced to go against his principles to give his people the hope they needed…

… She made hard choices so that she could persevere above the odds, and so did you …

 

… I don't know if my family could ever completely forgive you for what you did, but for what it's worth, we believe that you are truly sorry....

… In due time we can learn to forgive you, but right now all my family and I can do is give you our empathy...

… We forgive you, but only because that's what she would've wanted from us...

… Our family will eventually forgive you for your actions, and we are willing to put in the time to reconcile with you...

… To be honest, I don't think we'll be able to forgive you for what you did, but maybe in the future we might…

… My family and I were able to mourn all these years, and you finally gave us the closure we needed, so eventually forgiving you will definitely be our goal…

 

          Fayre was impressed with each of the family’s reactions. She hadn’t expected them to react so calmly. After Toriel and Asgore finished speaking with all of them, Fayre discussed with them about what they were going to do with the information they were given. They all agreed to keep the truth within the family. All of them came to the conclusion that chaos could erupt if the word got out, even if the families told the rest of the village that they wanted to move on from the whole situation. With that, Asgore, Toriel, and Fayre bid the families farewell. Outside on the steps of the building, Fayre clapped her hands together.

 

FAYRE

That went surprisingly well.

TORIEL

Yes… It did.

ASGORE

Oh, we do have something to ask you, miss Fayre.

FAYRE

Yes?

ASGORE

Both human and monster single gold coins look identical. They are worth the same. Is it alright if we pay using those?

FAYRE

It should be fine, at least for me. I’ll allow that. However, you will need more money after you run out of the money you have now, right? After all, none of you have an income.

TORIEL

Yes, that’s right. Are any of the local businesses hiring?

FAYRE

Well, some of them are. What are you interested in?

ASGORE

Ah, well, I do like to garden!

TORIEL

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher.

 

          Fayre's expression suddenly lit up with joy.

 

FAYRE

I know just the thing! Follow me.

 

          Fayre led Toriel and Asgore right to a building that sat at the edge of the town center. It was in pieces and the wood from it was charred due to a fire.

 

FAYRE

This used to be a school. But the ground around it and the building itself was burned to a crisp. A child was playing with matches and accidentally set the school on fire during the night. Unfortunately, the students now have to attend a school in the city in order to learn. Gathering up the money to rebuild an entire school from this little town isn’t easy. It’s taken us a while, but if you have any gold to spare, then we can start rebuilding!

ASGORE

I have plenty of gold to spare, miss Fayre.

TORIEL

Asgore… you don’t have to get involved. After all, I’m the one that wants to be a teacher.

ASGORE

And I want to be a gardener. This will be my first project! And… it’s the least I can do.

 

          Toriel smiled and put a paw on Asgore’s arm comfortingly.

 

TORIEL

Alright… I understand.

ASGORE

How much do you need, miss Fayre?

FAYRE

Well, we do get a lot of money from the government, and we were able to separate some funds towards rebuilding the school. We just need around…

 

          Toriel almost didn’t hear Fayre when she said how much was needed to complete the funds for the school. She was in shock.

 

TORIEL

There’s no way it could be that much! Miss Fayre, I think what you have now is just the right amount of money.

FAYRE

W-What?! We still need the iScreens for the students, the Pear Macs for the library, the smart boards for each classroom-...!

 

          Toriel shook his head and put her hand up to stop her.

 

TORIEL

You don’t need those to teach the children.

FAYRE

But the other schools have-...!

TORIEL

Never mind the other schools! The most important thing is that the children learn when they are at school. They don’t need fancy technology to do that.

 

          Fayre sighed.

 

FAYRE

Yeah, I guess you’re right.

TORIEL

Monster children should be attending the school as well. I think it’s the best way for us to help bond with the locals, don’t you think?

FAYRE

That is a good idea…

TORIEL

So… we need the school to be a bit bigger. Perhaps a second floor?

FAYRE

A second floor?! But the funds-...!

TORIEL

Don’t worry about that. Watch, closely, miss Fayre! Come with me, Asgore. You do know what I’m planning, yes?

ASGORE

Of course.

 

         Fayre watched as the two goat monsters approached the burnt remains of the school. They outstretched their hands, and Fayre's jaw fell open in shock. The remains were set ablaze, but the flames coming from the remains weren’t destructive. They actually were reversing the effects of the damage. Villagers, alarmed at the sight of such a large bonfire, watched safely from their homes and businesses. They gawked as Toriel and Asgore restored the school to its former glory. There was a bit of silence, and then suddenly, loud cheering. Toriel and Asgore flinched in surprise at the sudden outburst, and turned around. Some of the children from the village immediately ran up to Toriel and Asgore, thanking them happily. Toriel could feel her soul swell in absolute joy over seeing such happy human children. She glanced over at Asgore and smiled fondly. He was genuinely smiling, and it wasn’t pathetic at all. The parents of the children, and some of the other villagers, also went over to Toriel and Asgore. Everyone was amazed at what they had done. For once, they were actually looking forward to having more monsters in town.

          Meanwhile, the rest of the group was exploring the village. Frisk was eager to show them around.

 

FRISK

Over here is the video store! I think you’re really gonna like this place, Alphys.

ALPHYS

Really? How come?

 

          Frisk eagerly pulled her inside, and lead her straight to a particular section of the store.

 

ALPHYS

O-OH MY GOD! U-UNDYNE, L-L-LOOK!!!!

 

          Undyne ran over and gasped. It was an aisle full of anime DVDs.

 

UNDYNE

No way!!! This is completely full of anime! This is awesome!! HEY, OLD DUDE!

 

          The owner of the store, a frail old man with tan skin and grey hair, looked over at Undyne. His name tag hung from his all-blue uniform and it read, “Dan.” He was reading the newspaper, and a big headline called, “Monsters in Goudenbloem,” caught Frisk’s eye.

 

UNDYNE

How much for this entire aisle?!

DAN

You want the _entire_ aisle?

UNDYNE

YEAH!

DAN

I can’t do that, ma’am… you can’t buy all that at once. I gotta order more of ‘em and they take a while to get here, so I want everyone to get a chance to have’em. Also, you can only rent two things at once.

UNDYNE

Bummer… well, can you recommend us something, then?

DAN

The kids nowadays keep asking for… what’s it called… Dokimon? It’s real popular. We have all the seasons.

ALPHYS

H-How many episodes?

DAN

Eh… I’d say around… 987 within 20 completed seasons.

UNDYNE

PERFECT! How much for the whole set?!

DAN

850G for all of it. You could also just get the first 10 seasons for 425G instead.

UNDYNE

WHAT! I don’t have that kind of money! Dang… how much for one season?

DAN

43G!

UNDYNE

Eh, I think that’ll work for now, right Alphy?

ALPHYS

Y-Yeah, sure!

 

          Undyne took out her phone and with a few taps, she brought it over to the counter while Alphys grabbed the first season of Dokimon. The bottom of her phone opened, and 43 single coins spilled onto the counter. Dan raised his eyebrows in amazement.

 

DAN

Whoa! That’s amazin’! What kind of phone is this? Where did you get it?

UNDYNE

HAH! My girlfriend, here, made it. Her name’s Alphys. She’s super smart!

ALPHYS

Y-Yes, I.. I invented it!

 

          Alphys fidgeted and gave Dan a weak smile. Dan took a close look at the coins and noticed they were basically identical to the single human coins. Deciding that he didn't wan't to take the time to figure out if accepting the currency was legal or not, Dan counted the coins and put them away in his cash register. He gestured to Undyne’s phone.

 

DAN

That’s a pretty amazing invention!

ALPHYS

Oh! Why th-thank you!

 

          Heavy footsteps grabbed everyone’s attention. A large, rough looking human man dressed in a black police uniform walked in. He looked young, and had a strong build. His skin was a slight shade lighter than Dan’s, and his hair was curly and was a dirty blonde color. His eyes were a vivid, deep blue, and he used them to stare at the monsters for a moment before turning his attention to Dan.

 

DAN

H-Hello chief Archer! This is a surprise!

ARCHER

Hello, Dan. I just came by to let you know that the Mayor will be setting up a community meeting tomorrow morning. Apparently the king and ex-queen of monsters magically repaired the school, and they and the mayor have decided to allow monster and human children to attend together. They wanted to get the opinion of anyone who’s children will be attending the schools about the proposition.

DAN

That sounds… interesting.

ARCHER

I’m just the messenger. The meeting begins at ten o’clock in the morning. Be there if you have something to say, good or bad.

DAN

Yes, I’ll be there!

ARCHER

Got it.

 

          Archer looked over the monsters, studying them carefully. Undyne sneered at him.

 

UNDYNE

Is there a problem?

ARCHER

No, I’m just curious. I’ve never seen monsters before. I didn’t know you all varied so immensely from each other.

UNDYNE

I didn’t know humans looked the same.

 

          Archer laughed, it was deep and confident.

 

ARCHER

I like your sass.

UNDYNE

Thanks. What’s with the bandages?

 

           Archer looked down at his arm, where there was a thick layer of bandage wrappings, and shrugged.

 

ARCHER

Just a scratch.

UNDYNE

How’d you get it?

ARCHER

I can’t discuss personal details, but simply put, I received a call for a disturbance two days ago at night. There was a child, absolutely out of his mind, swinging a knife around. He cut me, but we were able grab him. He’s in the jail now, and we’re just trying to figure out where the hell he came from.

UNDYNE

Why did the kid go crazy?

ARCHER

Well, we think he might have contracted Corruptio.

UNDYNE

What is that?

ARCHER

It’s a disease of the soul that corrupts a human’s magic and makes them go insane. The symptoms are all there… there’s just something different about this kid that is making us doubt that he has it.

UNDYNE

Why the doubt?

ARCHER

He seemed... pleased with himself.

 

         Sans, who was looking at a few astronomy DVDs, suddenly whipped his head around to look at Archer. He was now paying his full attention to the conversation.

 

ARCHER

He was enjoying himself. It was so odd… people with Corruptio usually look frantic and terrified. He looked as if he was proud of what he was doing… as if it was deliberate.

ALPHYS

Th-That’s… th-th-that’s t-terrifying.

PAPYRUS

WILL THE HUMAN BE OKAY? IT SOUNDS LIKE HE IS… MISGUIDED.

ARCHER

He’ll be fine as soon as we figure out where he came from. No one at the station knows who he is, which is weird, because I personally think he kind of looks like-...

 

          Suddenly, a panicked voice erupted from Archer’s radio on his hip, calling for a response. Archer picked up his transceiver radio and spoke into it.

 

ARCHER

This is chief Archer, what’s going on?

 

          Static followed, until a hoarse voice croaked out of the radio.

 

???

10… 98… Officer… down…

 

          Archer widened his eyes and he immediately ran out of the store as he spoke into the radio with urgency. He got onto his motorcycle, which was parked just outside the store, and drove off, leaving a trail of smoke and dust behind.

 

ALPHYS

W-What was th-that about?

DAN

My eldest son’s a police officer. I believe 10-98 is code for a jailbreak, and, “officer down,” is… well… either someone’s really injured or they’re dead. I’m guessin’ that kid must’ve escaped their cell and attacked one of the officers.

UNDYNE

WHAT?! Then we need to help them!

DAN

I wouldn’t get involved, miss. It’s _their_ job to handle those kinds of emergencies.

ALPHYS

B-Besides, Undyne… w-we don’t w-want to get in trouble.. Let’s just continue enjoying the day!

UNDYNE

Errgh… fine!

PAPYRUS

BESIDES! I AM SURE THE OFFICERS WILL HELP THE CHILD CALM DOWN! EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE!

SANS

yeah… humans are tough, so it’ll be fine.

FRISK

Yeah, it’s okay! Let’s keep shopping around town!

 

         Frisk could feel Sans watching her as they continued exploring the village. It was as if he wanted to ask her something, but he was hesitant to. As the group made their way through the village, they couldn’t help but admire all the golden flowers. They looked exactly like the ones that Asgore had in his throne room. There were plenty of other flowers as well. There was one store that was filled to the brim with colorful flowers on the inside and the outside. Curious, the group went inside, and Frisk smiled happily at the old woman that was behind the shop’s counter. The old woman had a wooden cane and was wearing a floral pattern, baby-yellow dress. She shuffled in her leather sandals out from behind the counter. Her short, curled, silver hair bounced as she walked. Frisk waved to her and the old woman grinned happily with her milk chocolate colored skin, her brown eyes glittering with recognition at Frisk. Then, that old woman did something that took everyone, except for Frisk, by surprise. She started moving her hands. Sans and Papyrus recognized it immediately. It was sign language (A/N: Sign language will be represented with bold text!)

 

???

**Hello, Frisk, and friends!**

 

          The old lady rang a little bell on the counter and out came a gentleman. He was wearing navy blue hospital uniform scrubs. He had wavy, brown hair and sky blue eyes. His skin was beige colored and had freckles speckled across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He signed to the old woman, and then spoke to Frisk and her friends. However, he continued signing so that the old woman knew what was going on between them.

 

???2

**I’m here!** Oh, hello! Wow… Monsters really have escaped from the barrier.

FRISK

I prefer… “freed.”

NICK

Right, right! So, what is it you all need? I’m Nick, by the way. This girl right here is Clover! When I’m not working in the hospital, I’m here taking care of her.

CLOVER

**Don’t make me sound like some child, Nick! I’m just… a little old, that’s all.**

NICK

Pff… a, “little,” old?

 

          Nick laughed as Clover smacked his arm, but she did it playfully.

 

ALPHYS

W-We just wanted to take a look around, but… I-I have a question for you, if you don’t mind me asking?

NICK

Sure, ask whatever you want!

ALPHYS

W-What is the significance of… flowers… in h-human culture? There seems to be f-flowers everywhere.

NICK

Oh… uh, Clover is probably the best person that can explain that to you. Right, Clover?

CLOVER

**Of course! I would love to explain!**

 

          Nick spoke as Clover signed to them.

 

CLOVER

**Flowers were first used during and after the Great War to honor the human soldiers that died. The color signified their soul’s color, and the type of flower represented how their families felt about them. My grandfather fought and died in the war, and was buried with orange tulips. Orange was for his soul trait, bravery, and the tulips symbolize “gratitude.” Today, flowers are still used for all funerals, but they are also now used at birth! The colors still represent a person’s soul trait, but the type of flowers are assigned by the mother specifically. A person can change the type of flowers as they grow up and discover more about themselves. I went through five types of flowers before settling on the perfect one.**

UNDYNE

Which one is that?

CLOVER

**Light blue, for patience, and the rose of sharon, for resilience. It’s a bit ironic considering I’m a withering old lady now, but considering all I’ve been through, I think I’m pretty resilient.**

ALPHYS

I-I see.. Is there any p-particular reason as to wh-why everything i-is decorated w-with them?

CLOVER

**We humans believe that flowers are a representation of the soul. When humans use their magic, their eyes glow the same color as their soul. We like to equate that to a flower’s bloom. The flower’s vivid hues represents our soul’s colorful magic. The stem and leaves of a flower represent how our soul’s trait is connected to the other aspects of our personality. Finally, the roots remind us that no matter who we are, we all must remember where we come from. That doesn’t just mean our human history as a whole, but our ancestors as well. So, when we display our flowers, whether it be ones that we associate with ourselves, with others, or simply because we think they’re pretty, it all has the same message. We are proud of who we are.**

 

          Undyne narrowed her eyes at her.

 

UNDYNE

Despite your history?

CLOVER

**Yes. Aren’t you?**

 

          Undyne looked at her with surprise and then chuckled softly, shaking her head (A/N: Remember, Nick is in the background translating everything that Clover signs).

 

UNDYNE

Damn… you humans sure are different from what I expected.

CLOVER

**What were you expecting?**

UNDYNE

I thought… that maybe… you guys would drive us out and try to kill us. I mean, Frisk gave me hope that not all humans were dangerous and violent… but I still had some doubts. Now? I actually feel more relaxed… more peaceful. I don’t feel like I have to always keep my guard up and prepare to fight like I used to.

CLOVER

**Is that good?**

UNDYNE

Yeah… it’s really good. It’s awesome!

CLOVER

**Great! I am happy to answer any more questions that you have for me.**

ALPHYS

Thank you so m-much!

SANS

**yeah, thanks for the information.**

 

          Clover gasped in delight when Sans signed back to her. Everyone else besides Papyrus was just as surprised. Sans spoke as he signed.

 

CLOVER

**You know how to sign?**

SANS

**yep.**

 

          Papyrus eagerly took off his gloves and joined his brother.

 

PAPYRUS

**SO DO I!**

CLOVER

**But… how?**

PAPYRUS

**MY BROTHER, SANS, TAUGHT ME!**

SANS

**i’m self-taught.**

CLOVER

**That’s amazing!**

PAPYRUS

**I THINK WE SHOULD BE ON OUR WAY! ASGORE AND TORIEL MUST BE WONDERING WHERE WE’VE WENT!**

SANS

**it was nice talking to you, though. we’ll come back soon.**

CLOVER

**See you soon, then!**

PAPYRUS

ALRIGHT!!! LET’S GO SEE HOW TORIEL AND ASGORE ARE DOING!

UNDYNE

Oh, yeah! I think Asgore and Toriel did something super cool for the villagers. SO, LET’S GO!

 

         Undyne grabbed Alphys’ hand and was about to walk out the door with everyone before a voice, that had been completely silent throughout their little exploration of the village, finally spoke up.

 

FLOWEY

Wait. Papyrus…

 

          Papyrus turned on his heel and grinned at Flowey.

 

PAPYRUS

YES?

FLOWEY

I want to ask that old bag one question.

PAPYRUS

SURE! BUT BE NICE!

FLOWEY

Yeah, yeah, whatever.  Just… do your hand thing.

 

          Flowey turned his attention to the old woman.

 

PAPYRUS

**MISS CLOVER! MY FRIEND, FLOWEY, HAS ONE LAST QUESTION!**

CLOVER

**Sure, but could you let him know something before I answer?**

PAPYRUS

**OF COURSE!**

CLOVER

**Tell him to choose his words wisely around an, “old bag,” like me.**

 

          Papyrus grinned, liking Clover’s sass and the fact she reads people’s lips without them knowing. He turned his head to Flowey.

 

PAPYRUS

MISS CLOVER SAYS THAT BEFORE SHE CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SHE MUST INFORM YOU THAT YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY AROUND AN, “OLD BAG,” LIKE HER.

 

          Flowey sputtered for a moment before growling, realizing that she read his lips

 

FLOWEY

SHUT UP AND JUST ASK HER WHAT’S WITH ALL THE GOLDEN BUTTERCUPS!!!

 

          Papyrus smiled and shook his head. He turned to Clover.

 

PAPYRUS

**HE ASKS, “WHAT’S WITH ALL THE GOLDEN BUTTERCUPS?”**

CLOVER

**Well, they are the most common type of flower here. They symbolize childishness, which is very appropriate for this town. There are a lot of children here!**

 

          Papyrus happily explained to Flowey what Clover said, and watched as Flowey seemed to take a second to think. Flowey quickly then darted into his pot. Papyrus sighed.

 

PAPYRUS

**I AM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR HIS RUDENESS! I’M SURE HE DOES NOT MEAN IT… HE’S JUST LEARNING HOW TO FEEL… POSITIVE.**

CLOVER

**That’s quite alright. Good day!**

PAPYRUS

**AND GOOD DAY TO YOU… AGAIN!**

 

          The group waved goodbye to Clover and her caretaker and made their way back to the center of town. There was still a crowd around Toriel and Asgore, but it mostly consisted of the village children. The group noticed that the building that was in shambles was now fixed, and looked exactly like a school. Toriel hurried over to the group, the children and Asgore followed her.

 

TORIEL

My friends, and my dear children! Asgore and I fixed the local school! I’m going to try to argue for monster children to be allowed to attend with the human children tomorrow… and I was wondering, if all goes well, if it were possible for you all to… help teach? Those of you who want to, of course. That way, we could all earn some money, and then expand to our own personal ambitions if we choose to once we save enough… Except for me. I want to have continued involvement with the school for as long as possible! How does it sound?

UNDYNE

I could TOTALLY be an AWESOME gym teacher!

PAPYRUS

I WILL ASSIST UNDYNE SO THAT SHE IS NOT TOO ROUGH!

ALPHYS

W-Well… m-maybe I could.. B-be.. a-a math teacher? I-I do have a phD in robotics engineering, a-after all!

UNDYNE

YEAH! THAT’S THE SPIRIT, ALPHY!

 

          Undyne laughed and slapped Alphys in the back encouragingly. Although, it was somewhat hard, and Alphys stumbled a bit, but she was giggling.

 

TORIEL

What about you, Sans?

 

          Sans could feel a drop of sweat form on his skull and he shrugged, looking away. Being surrounded by human children everyday definitely was not on his list of things he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing at the moment. The children that were staring at him were already making him nervous.

 

SANS

nah. sounds like too much work.

TORIEL

Alright. Well, Alphys can teach science as well! I will be teaching English and social studies. I think I should approach Mettaton for the arts, don’t you think, Alphys?

ALPHYS

I-I don’t know how M-Mettaton will be with children, but I think h-he can do it!!!

TORIEL

Perfect! This day has been quite productive. Asgore is going to go back up the mountain to bring a few more monsters down here to get acquainted with the humans.

UNDYNE

What should we do in the meantime?

FRISK

… Anything we want!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where did my ideas for the fallen children's names originate? Well:
> 
> 1\. (bravery) Steve is the name of Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was a famous American wrestler!  
> 2\. (justice) Wyatt is the name of Wyatt Earp, who was a famous sheriff in the American wild west!  
> 3\. (kindness) Giordana is the female version of the name Gordon which is the name of Gordon Ramsay, a famous (Scottish-born) British chef!  
> 4\. (light blue) Gabriel is the male version of the name Gabrielle which is the name of Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel, who was a famous French fashion designer!  
> 5\. (blue) Diana is the name of Diana Viktorovna Vishneva, a famous Russian ballet dancer.  
> 6\. (purple) Emily is the name of Emily Dickinson, who was a famous American poet.
> 
> In my head, they aren't meant to look like the person they were named after... They just simply take their name. 
> 
> I am currently working on Chapters 12 and 13... I am not quite happy with Chapter 12 to say that it's ready to be completely moved on from, and Chapter 13 seems to be very long... I may just split the chapter in two to make it easier to follow in case you all don't want to end up reading through it in one sitting.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave kudos, subscribe for notifications on updates, and leave a comment! Also, I know Hits aren't accurate, but it does make me feel good to see 130+ Hits on my little story. I am primarily doing this to practice my writing for my original writings, so thank you for looking at my very... so-so story-writing... (ヾ;￣▽￣)ヾ


	10. Chapter 9: The Journals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get a look at what happened to during the Great War through the eyes of Genie's great-great grandmother. Also, a certain somebody comes by to visit!

          It has been one month since monster kind left the Surface, and it was now the first week of September. The meeting between the humans of the village and Asgore and Toriel went swimmingly. Frisk helped especially, since she was living proof that if two monsters could adopt her and treat her like their own, then they will definitely be able to safely teach the village children and treat them kindly. The human adults were a bit reluctant, but they quickly had a change of heart once they saw their children suddenly very excited to attend school. Not only that, Toriel was a great motivator, so the children were even excited to do good in their studies. There were children that were slacking behind, but Toriel and her staff were making sure to never give up on them. Asgore made sure that the school grounds were tended to, and put flowers everywhere he could. The children would happily play on the grounds, and some would talk to Asgore and ask him all kinds of questions. He was patient with them, and ended up being their favorite gardener.

          Toriel and Asgore were running the school with both a human and monster staff. The students were also a mix of human and monster, and Frisk was happily attending. Frisk was no longer being bullied as much, and with her experience in the Underground, she was able to convince some of the kids that would try to bully her to be her friends instead. It may have not worked every time, but that was alright with Frisk. She didn't need _everyone_ to like her. Undyne and Alphys were excellent teachers, and Papyrus was doing a good job of making sure that Undyne wasn’t too hard on the kids. She never really was, though.

          Sans was tasked with looking after Flowey when Frisk was at school. However, he couldn’t trust himself to be left alone with Flowey. After all, he faintly remembered every reset, and he knew that it wouldn’t be long before Flowey would have been, “accidentally,” dusted. The flower really knew how to push his buttons. So, he would go to Genie’s home. Genie didn’t mind, since she was happy to have company over. Sans especially didn’t mind making the ten minute walk there (and he only walked because Flowey despised taking Sans' shortcuts), because the exchanges Genie made with Flowey were entertaining. Flowey always relied on his facial expressions to intimidate people, but since Genie was blind, she was completely unaware. Even when his voice got shrill and creepy, she would shake off the fear. Frisk was especially happy with this arrangement, since she knew Genie could be able to help her get through to Flowey. There was also another reason, but Frisk wouldn’t dare voice it… 

          Genie was walking around the house, trying to remember where she left a certain something. She wanted to find it by herself. Sans was sitting on the couch, watching TV, while Flowey was placed on the other side of the couch. He was snickering at Genie.

 

FLOWEY 

I hope you trip on that stupid stick.

 

          Flowey was referring to Genie's cane. Genie waved him off.

 

GENIE 

When I find out where a flower’s butt is, I’ll be sure to shove this stick so far up it that you’ll be able to taste it.

 

          Sans snorted and started laughing, hearing the conversation over the TV. He looked over at Flowey and grinned.

 

SANS 

i wish ya could see his face right now… so mad.

FLOWEY 

SHUT UP, YOU SMILING TRASH BAG! GO TO HELL!

GENIE 

Flowey, that’s not nice. You’re supposed to be positive.

FLOWEY 

I DON’T CARE, HYPOCRITE!

 

          Genie sighed and, after getting finding something from a nearby shelf, used her cane to find the couch. She sat next to Sans and grabbed Flowey’s flower pot, putting it on her lap. She interrupted his grumbling.

 

GENIE 

Hey, Flowey… wanna play a game?

FLOWEY 

… What kind of game?

 

          Genie smiled at his curious tone. That seemed to peak his interest.

 

GENIE 

It’s called Uno.

FLOWEY 

What kind of a name is that?

GENIE 

It’s a card game! Here.

 

          Genie put Flowey’s pot down on the coffee table and held up the card box she grabbed from the shelf.

 

FLOWEY 

Didn’t think you were going to be able to find that by yourself. I’m disappointed, because maybe then it would’ve been funny to watch you pathetically ask for help!

 

          Genie ignored him. She was used to Flowey’s comments about her blindness at this point. It wasn’t the first time, and she was sure it wasn’t going to be the last. Genie read out the rules to the game and distributed the cards. She didn’t bother waiting for Flowey to agree to play. If she gave him a choice, he might refuse.

          Genie would’ve considered herself dumb for handing cards to a flower, but she found out early on that Flowey had the ability to pick up things with his leaves. They started the game, and Genie used the braille on the bottom of the cards to know what card to play. Genie could barely contain her laughter as Sans figured out how to use the cards get Flowey angry. He continuously took every opportunity to give specifically Flowey more cards and skip his turn. If he couldn’t do that, he would challenge Flowey when Flowey wouldn’t say, "uno," fast enough, which prevented him from winning several games. Genie was nearly doubling over, laughing as she heard the hilarity that was being exchanged between the two.

 

FLOWEY 

JUST LET ME WIN, YOU SMUG SACK OF SHIT!!!

SANS 

what do you mean? just followin' the rules.

FLOWEY 

YOU’RE DOING THIS SPECIFICALLY TO PISS _ME_ OFF!

SANS 

what? nah, c’mon, i would NEVER intentionally piss ya off.

FLOWEY 

YOU WOULD BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW!

SANS 

no i’m not.

FLOWEY 

YES YOU ARE!

SANS 

no i’m not.

FLOWEY 

YES YOU ARE!!!

 

          They stopped their argument when Genie put her hand up, gasping deeply, trying to get much needed air between her laughter.

 

GENIE 

No, stop! Stop, you two! I can’t! You two are just too funny together!

 

          Flowey glared at Sans and huffed irritably. Sans smiled a bit, noticing that he didn’t snap at Genie for the compliment. Usually Flowey would dismiss any compliment directed towards him. Even though Flowey didn’t thank Genie despite accepting the compliment, it was a step in the right direction. He made a mental note to tell Frisk about it later when she comes to pick Flowey up. The three were distracted with a knock at the door.

 

GENIE 

Oh, that must be my uncle Timothy!

FLOWEY 

Who the heck is that?

GENIE 

Well, way back when Sans and everyone else crashed here, we talked about human souls. Everyone wasn’t sure of what Frisk’s soul was. So, since my great-great grandmother fought in the war and wrote in journals during her time serving as a mage, I thought I should ask my uncle if he could drop them off! He said it would take a while to find them all. I hope he did…

 

          Genie got up and walked to the door and opened it.

 

TIMOTHY 

Hey Genie, thanks for taking these off my hands.

GENIE 

No problem! How’s the city?

TIMOTHY 

Well, there’s a lot of controversy since all those things crawled out of the Underground.

 

         Sans frowned at being called a thing. He looked over at Flowey, who looked like he was about to launch out of his pot to attack the guy.

 

GENIE 

Tim… don’t call them things! That’s incredibly rude of you.

TIMOTHY 

Come on, Genie, you can’t be serious… are you really going to sympathize with them? They’ve practically invaded Goudenbloem! It wont be long until one of them steals a soul...

GENIE 

They won't do that! They’re nice people!

TIMOTHY 

They’re monsters, not-…

 

          Timothy glanced inside and caught sight of Sans. He didn’t notice Flowey, since he assumed that he was just an ordinary flower. Flowey was turned away from him, grumbling quietly to himself. Timothy grimaced at Sans and looked at Genie.

 

TIMOTHY 

Are you serious?

GENIE 

What?

TIMOTHY 

You have one in your house?

GENIE 

Yes! His name is Sans, and-

TIMOTHY 

Why are you alone in your house with a monster? Are you dating that thing?!

 

          Genie’s mouth fell open in shock and she breathed in a loud gasp. San’s face was colored with a deep blue blush, and he shot a glare at Flowey when he heard the flower snickering. Genie’s hands quickly felt around in the air until her hands fell on the box her uncle was carrying, then she roughly snatched it away from him. Genie lifted her cane and smacked her uncle’s leg. Her uncle backed away as she hit his leg with every word, ignoring him as he tried arguing with her.

 

GENIE 

GOOD. BYE. UNCLE. TIMOTHY!

TIMOTHY 

OW, OW! WHY ARE YOU FREAKING OUT-...?!

 

          With a huff, she ignored her uncle’s protests and slammed the door closed.

 

FLOWEY 

…Well he seems nice!

GENIE 

Ugh… don’t get me started. I’m just glad I was able to hit his leg that time... I was aiming for something else, though...

 

         Genie turned around and walked to the table, putting the box down. Sans watched, but wasn’t looking at the boxes. He was looking at Genie’s sockets. Genie got so flustered, that her magic had gotten disturbed. It wasn’t a magic attack, rather, the magic simply got irritated and started glowing. He could see the glow, and it made a beautiful purple gradient that radiated from the center of her sockets. Genie turned her head towards Sans.

 

GENIE 

Am I looking at you, Sans?

SANS 

uh-huh...

GENIE 

I’m sorry that you had to fall victim to that. I didn’t know my uncle felt so… strongly… about monsters. It's been a while since I've seen him.

SANS 

… no problem…

GENIE 

A-Anyway, let’s see what my great-great grandmother has to say!

 

          Genie started getting out the journals and Sans simply stared at her. He felt a small wave of disappoint hit him when the glow from within Genie’s sockets faded away. For a moment, it seemed as if she had eyes like a skeleton monster. It’s probably why it caught his attention in the first place. After all, as a skeleton himself, it would only make sense that something so skeleton-like would catch his eye. Flowey’s teasing voice interrupted his thinking.

 

FLOWEY 

Why are you staring at her, you creep?

GENIE 

Huh?

 

          Sans’ eyelights went out and he gave Flowey an empty glare. Flowey was looking at Sans with a smug look on his face. Flowey just found the perfect thing to tease Sans about, and both him and Sans knew it. Sans narrowed his sockets at him.

 

SANS 

i was just staring at the journals.

FLOWEY 

Sure you were…

GENIE 

Oh, Flowey, stop it.

 

          That was another trait that Flowey was starting to get back. He was becoming more like a child. The change in Flowey's demeanor was slow going, but it was starting to get noticeable. Sans didn’t like this particular side of Flowey, and quickly changed the subject so that he didn’t have to see any more of it.

 

SANS 

want me to read one?

GENIE 

Huh? Oh, yeah…

 

          Genie got lost in thought for a moment, wondering if it was true if Sans was staring at her. She wondered why while she handed Sans one of the journals. They were in great condition despite being just over eight decades old. He flipped through the pages of the journals and noticed something peculiar. Each journal only had very few pages that were written on, and there were only 3 journals in total that each had a year written in the front. Perhaps Genie’s ancestor only had enough time to write just that much and that often? That, or the rest simply got lost to time. Sans decided to read the first journal that was labeled, “1932.” He opened the journal, and read the entries.

 

SANS 

“ **August, 1932** My name is Darla, and I am 27 years old. My soul contains kindness, and I have healing magic. Soldiers came into the town today, and summoned myself and other mages. They informed us all that they have successfully infiltrated and attacked the monster kingdom. They say that we will no longer fear monsters, and that our children will be safe once all monsters have been reduced to dust beneath our feet. I don’t know how to feel about this. My daughter is just 10 years old, and now she will be thrust into war? With monsters, no less? What if they take my soul, or worse, hers? The soldiers commanded that I and the other healing mages come with them to serve in the war as medical mages. I will have to leave my daughter, my only child, behind. I hope she is safe with the rest of my family…”, “ **November, 1932** I have gotten used to seeing the wounds of war. The burn wounds from fire, electricity, or acid… the stab wounds from spears, arrows, or swords… the crushed flesh and bones from fists or bites… it’s all so common. As someone with a green soul, I am more efficient in green healing magic. It’s a slow and painful process, unlike monster healing magic it seems. Our magic may be more powerful, but the monsters have variety and skill on their side. At least our souls are more durable and determined. Orange souls, filled with bravery, could easily handle hand-to-hand combat. Yellow souls, filled with justice, are sharp-shooters that are able to fight in close and far distances. Light blue souls, filled with patience, are the best at fighting with knives and swords, so they are usually the ones that deal with the monster king’s knights. Blue souls, filled with integrity, are versatile in any weapon and are mostly used for improving morale. Purple souls, filled with perseverance, are incredible strategists and negotiators. It’s curious how a war can categorize people into such specific positions… even if the humans containing those souls aren’t ready for them. I keep hearing that a new soul is being developed from the most determined souls… they talk about it like as if it was a weapon of some kind. Does that mean it's not alive?”, “ **February, 1932** There is always dust everywhere. I try my best not to let it get inside my medical tent, but the stuff gets everywhere with just a slight breeze. It’s so annoying, but it’s not like I can stop it. The dust and blood soaked battleground is hardly a good place to practice medicine. As much as I would like to continue rambling on about dust, there is something more important for me to… gather and write down my thoughts about. I haven’t been able to see monsters that often, but I was finally able to catch a glimpse of one of the most interesting ones. It was a skeleton woman, who was babbling about the craziest things. They gave her to me to see if I could help her somehow… not because they were concerned, but more so because they wanted to ask her questions. She kept saying that she didn’t know who she was or where she came from. She didn’t even know what a monster or human was, and that all she knew was that she woke up on the battlefield. I don’t think I can do anything for this psychotic creature.”, “ **May, 1932** I just received terrible news from my family. My hometown was completely flattened during a battle between monsters and humans. The skeleton woman was lucky to escape just a month ago, for if she were here now, I don’t know what I would’ve done in my anger. Monsters completely destroyed my beloved hometown. It was so beautiful, and now it is gone. There is worse news. My daughter is missing, and I was told that monsters took her as a prisoner… my own child. My little girl whom I haven’t seen in almost a year… snatched from her family… from me. I hope that when they find the monster who took her from us, that they at least allow me to hit the fatal blow.”

 

         Sans paused, closing the journal.

 

FLOWEY 

Well… that was intense.

SANS 

your great-great grandmother ain’t soundin’ too nice.

GENIE 

… Read the next one?

 

          Sans moved on to the next journal, and it was titled, "1933."

 

SANS

“ **October, 1933** The war has gotten worse. There’s so much death around me… They finally released the new weapons… at least that’s what they called them. One of the, “weapons,” were given to me because they were injured. They were children. They were sending children into battle, and they had such huge amounts of determination that I don’t even know what their souls used to be. They’re just determined to follow orders. They were so sweet, but I had to separate them from the part of the tent that held my monster patients. One look at them and the determined children would instantly try to kill them. They wouldn’t listen to reason unless their commanders came in and gave them an order to stop.  When I tried to press the commander for answers, all I was told was that the reason they were so murderous was that they were, “still getting comfortable.” " **December, 1933** I found out the truth. My daughter wasn’t taken by monsters. She was taken by the government to be used as a weapon. One of the more calm children, I suppose one of the few that were, “comfortable,” told me that after she recognized my name. I don’t know how to get to my daughter… perhaps we can be reunited after the war. I feel like if I say anything now… I won’t ever be able to see her again. This must be some kind of secret, and if you know the answers you’re not supposed to, you’ll be killed. The child even refused to tell me how the children were so full of determination. So many secrets, but I at least know the answer to some of them. Right now, I need to concentrate on my work and pretend to know nothing. However, as soon as I see my daughter, I will flee with her.”, “ **March, 1933** I haven’t received anymore children weapons for a long time now. The war has gotten more intense, and there is talk for a another plan. I’m getting nervous, and I don’t know what side I should be supporting anymore. It’s too late now… I did get to see another monster, though. Unfortunately he was dusted before I could get a good look at him. I never really liked seeing them get dusted in such a way… by firing squad. I don’t know if we’ll ever reach peace at this rate.”, “ **May, 1993** I thought nothing could get worse… but it has. They’ve thrust me into the battlefield. What can I do? Nothing useful. I can only shield myself and heal the soldiers that I happen upon. After all, I have never even dueled with my magic before. This has been a terrible experience… and I have witnessed firsthand what the monsters are going through. Only some fought back, but most begged for their lives. This is a war, but not a fair one. Seeing how they have suffered… I changed my mind. I’m terrible, aren’t I? It took a monster dying in my arms to change me. I cannot dwell on this, though. I must do better. Maybe I can save monsters _and_ humans from the battlefield. It’s the most I can do… I am still looking for my daughter as well.”

GENIE 

Let’s… keep going...

 

          Sans picked up the last book, and it was titled, "1934."

SANS 

This is the last one… “ **September, 1934** I have been secretly saving monster lives for months now without getting caught. Many other people have joined me. I had no idea that I was capable of treason. I know of people who were caught and killed for treason. I must be careful. I met the skeleton woman again. She is still confused, but she has at least calmed down and is coping well. I found out her name is Marigold, which is a name she picked for herself. She told me that she would tell the monster army not to kill me and the rest of my group. She is so kind.”, “ **November, 1934** I was found by a monster that looked like a tortoise. He noticed that I was one of the, what he called, “merciful humans.” I was running from some soldiers that caught me healing a monster. They didn’t see my face. This monster soldier pulled me to safety. I don’t know who he is, but I hope he survives. I must get back to work... I hope I meet him again.”, “ **January, 1934** I was able to escape the battlefield. I am being tossed from camp to camp of refugees from the war. I am taking this opportunity to look for any hints of my daughter. I was able to travel for a little while with a determined child. He told me that they injected their souls with so much determination, that they now have the soul trait of pure Determination. He said he was told that the change was irreversible. I asked him about my daughter. He said she is still… being injected. I hope, with the entirety of my soul, that they never release her onto the battlefield. She’s just a child… They all are...”, “ **July, 1934** This is my last entry. The Council of Magic have sent their guards after me when one of the council members spotted me helping and healing a monster. She saw my face, and I was identified. I will be leaving these journals with my tortoise friend. He says he may be able to get them to my family with the help of some friendly humans that he knows. They’ve been so helpful… So I am grateful for them. I don’t know how long I will be able to keep running before they catch me. I am only delaying the inevitable. I suppose it’s just my survival instincts… and perhaps the possibility that I can escape. I doubt that, though. They’re getting close, now. I need to go, so I will write one last thing. My daughter, I am sorry for not being able to find you in time. Please, please use your new soul wisely. Stay determined… I love you.”

 

          There was some silence between the three, but there was a sense of relief between them as well. This was because Darla’s daughter, Genie’s great-grandmother, survived and lived a full life.

 

GENIE 

My great-great grandmother may have not died a peaceful death, but man… she was such a badass.

FLOWEY 

Pfft.

 

          Genie chuckled, but then immediately went silent as a look of surprise formed on her face.

 

GENIE 

Did I just hear genuine laughter that wasn’t mocking me? From Flowey?

FLOWEY 

… NO!

SANS 

yes.

GENIE 

Oh my god, I did. YOU JUST LAUGHED! For real this time!

FLOWEY 

I did NOT laugh! That… that was... A PITY LAUGH FOR YOUR POOR SENSE OF HUMOR!

GENIE 

I am so telling Toriel.

FLOWEY 

WHATEVER. MOVING ON! So, Frisk does really have a soul that’s just pure determination?

GENIE 

Yep. And now we know why they only existed until recently in human history… but… there’s no explanation as to why they’re rare now and what they did in the war... They're so rare that it becomes a bit of a spectacle when someone is born with a red soul.

SANS 

is your great-grandmother still alive?

GENIE 

No, she passed away four years ago. She never talked once about the war. In fact, I never knew she was actually IN it until now. I… can’t believe she kept it a secret… hey, maybe her daughter, my grandmother, might know?

SANS 

maybe we can look into that another time… Flowey?

 

          Flowey was tuning them out, and was thinking hard about the last line of the journal entry. “Stay determined… I love you.” It kept replaying in his head. Sans scanned his eyelights over Flowey, taking in the atmosphere around him. He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t sad either.

 

SANS 

you okay, flowey?

 

          Flowey, realizing that Sans was staring at him and Genie was listening for his answer, huffed and turned away.

 

FLOWEY 

I’m fine, so shut up! Why do you care?

SANS 

because we’re kind of in charge of you and if toriel thinks what your feeling is our fault, we'll get in trouble.

 

          Genie felt around until her hand found Sans’ shoulder and she smacked it gently.

 

GENIE 

NO, it's because we’re your _FRIENDS_. What are you feeling, Flowey?

FLOWEY 

… I just… I don’t know! It’s that… that stupid thing Darla said about staying determined and how much she loved her daughter.

GENIE 

Why's does it bother you?

FLOWEY

Because...! It's just...! I'm...!

SANS 

just let it out, buddy.

FLOWEY 

I’m… I’m…!

 

         Flowey growled in frustration.

 

FLOWEY 

I’m so DISAPPOINTED… IN… MYSELF!

 

          Flowey breathed in deeply after confessing his feelings. Genie smiled at Flowey approvingly. Flowey being able to talk about how he felt was a slow development.

 

GENIE 

Why are you disappointed in yourself?

FLOWEY 

Because…  it reminds me of my-... of Toriel. I don’t get why she still loves me… why she believes in me so much… d-... Asgore, too.

GENIE 

Because, Flowey… children make mistakes. You had no support, and you dissociated yourself from everyone else. Not only that, you were left with negative emotions and feelings. You were brought back to life as a flower… you’ve been through a lot. Toriel still loves you because she knows what you truly need is family and friends. What you did was terrible, but what would be the point of leaving you alone to suffer? You need help.

FLOWEY 

It would be easier my way…

GENIE 

You’re right, it would… but it wouldn’t be worth it.

FLOWEY 

… Why do you have the answer to everything?

GENIE 

Because, Flowey, I’m teaching you what it’s like to persevere. You must accept all of your regrets and learn from them so that you can adapt and eventually reach your goal. You shouldn’t ignore your negative feelings. You have to look at them and deal with them. That way, you can look on the positive side of things! For example… when you were a flower, you managed to make Papyrus your friend! Even if you didn’t mean to…

FLOWEY 

… I guess so…

 

          Flowey fell silent and Genie smiled. She reached over and patted Flowey on the head.

 

GENIE 

Want some time to think outside?

FLOWEY 

Yeah...

SANS 

gotcha.

 

          Flowey widened his eyes and he made a threatening face towards Sans.

 

FLOWEY 

NO, NO, NO, DON’T YOU DARE-...!

 

          Before Flowey could finish his sentence, Sans already poked his flower pot, forcibly shortcutting Flowey outside. Sans snickered as he heard Flowey’s muffled complaints outside the window on Genie’s front porch. Genie put her hands on her hips.

 

GENIE 

Sans! You know he hates that!

SANS 

i didn’t feel like gettin' up to put him outside! at least i put him on the table and not in the dirt.

 

          Genie shook her head and Sans shrugged.

 

GENIE 

You’re such an ass sometimes.

SANS 

i’ve gotta make up for what i’m missin', right?

GENIE 

Sans, _please_!

 

          Genie started giggling into her hand and raised her index finger towards him to shush him.

 

GENIE 

D-Don’t start!

SANS 

fine, fine… wanna talk about the journals?

 

          Genie composed herself.

 

GENIE 

N-No.. Flowey needs to think and I don’t want him to overhear us talking about the journals… maybe we can talk more about it in the Hall.

SANS 

sounds reasonable to me.

 

          Sans grinned to himself. Ever since they went to the Hall around a month ago, they made it into a scheduled meet up between the two of them. Sans didn’t think that he’d be able to go back to that place, but Genie insisted that they should meet there. Sans knew exactly what she was trying to do. Besides the fact that it was quiet and no one would interrupt their venting, she’s trying to make sure that Sans made better memories from that place. He wasn’t sure if that was going to work, but now he was starting to actually look forward to going back there. Genie isn’t trying to make him forget what happened per-say, but is actually showing him how to move on. They both even decided to make it look different. Sans had his and Papyrus' old couch there now, and it was sitting against one of the large stained-glass windows. There was a hand-held radio there where they could play music while they talked. Genie would even bring board games for them to play. Sans found old giftmas lights and put them around the couch so that he could see when it got dark. Genie would sometimes turn them off so that he could, "see," what she goes through. It was a fun experiment. No one else knew about their meetings, which was important. The last thing they wanted was for someone to attempt to follow them and listen in on their personal conversations. Genie tapped Sans on the shoulder.

 

GENIE 

Hey, Sans? I’m curious...

SANS 

about what?

GENIE 

… Can you give me your hand?

SANS 

why?

GENIE 

Well, you’re a skeleton, right? Well, I want to know what a bone feels like-...

 

          Sans let a snort escape him.

 

SANS 

at least buy me dinner first.

GENIE 

What?  

 

          Sans laughed as he reached over and put his hand in Genie’s. His grin widened as he saw a flicker of that magic in Genie’s sockets again. She flushed furiously.

 

GENIE 

… I’m going to do to you what I threatened to do to Flowey.

SANS 

pff! heh! it's just jokes!!!

 

          His eyelights drifted down to his hand that was currently in Genie’s. She was feeling the bones curiously. She constantly asked which bone was what, and she would feel her own hand as if to check if she also had those bones, which she did of course. Genie seemed to be particularly invested in the spaces between Sans’ bones, which were his joints.

 

SANS 

find something interesting?

GENIE 

Yeah… it’s like… vibrating a little bit? Like running electricity but not painful.

SANS 

that’s my magic. it’s what holds my bones and dust together.

GENIE 

I see…

 

          Genie raised a brow and put her ear to his hand. She gasped.

 

GENIE 

It’s humming!

SANS 

heh, yeah… magic hums. it always does, but it gets louder if i’m nervous or excited. ya can hear it better if ya listen to my soul directly, which is in my chest cavity.

GENIE 

Like a heart with it’s heartbeat?

SANS 

what’s a heartbeat?

 

          Genie positioned Sans’ index and middle finger onto her wrist. They waited for a few moments before Sans noticed Genie’s pulse.

 

SANS 

ohh...

GENIE 

Yeah, what you’re feeling is the blood being pumped by my heart. The force of the blood being pumped is so strong that you can feel the pulse on different parts of the body. The wrist and the neck are usually where you can feel the pulse the best. The sound of the thumping actually comes from the valves in the heart opening and closing. You can hear the sound better from my chest, too!

SANS 

ya know a lot about this, huh?

GENIE 

Well... I’ve been in enough hospitals and went to enough doctors to know about it.

SANS 

yeah...

GENIE 

… But enough about that! Wanna help me with something?

SANS 

oh, sure. what do you need?

GENIE 

To bake. I want to make Flowey feel better with some chocolate chip cookies.

SANS 

heh.. sure thing…

 

          Flowey peered into Genie’s home from his spot on the table on Genie’s front porch, watching as Sans and Genie walked into the kitchen. He rolled his eyes and turned to continue gazing at the mountainous forest that towered over Genie’s home. He was somewhat content in his thoughts, that is, until he saw a shadow move between the trees. For once, Flowey was sure that it wasn’t Sans trying to prank him.

 

FLOWEY 

H-Hello…?

 

          Flowey watched as a young boy walked out of the forest. The young boy had bright blonde hair, glassy brown eyes, and his skin was practically as white as snow, but it was slightly discolored in some places. Flowey figured they must be bruises. The boy was wearing a long, purple robe that ended just above his ankles, and the robe had a single red stripe that went across his chest. The child looked dirty and his straight hair was unkempt. Flowey tilted his head in confusion.

 

FLOWEY 

Huh? What are you doing here? Are you lost or something? Not… N-Not that I care, but my… my, “friends,” inside might.

??? 

You have friends?

FLOWEY 

... No, not REALLY… does it weird you out or something?

??? 

No, I’m just insulted

FLOWEY 

Insulted? How? What, are you jealous or something? You shouldn’t be… they’re stupid.

??? 

Well, it’s just that… I thought WE were friends…

FLOWEY 

H-Huh?

??? 

Actually, I thought we were BEST friends… Azzy.

 

          Flowey widened his eyes and his petals drooped.

 

FLOWEY 

N-No…

 

          The child gave Flowey a menacing grin, his pupils and iris' glittering with red, determined magic. It completely contrasted with the orange soul that Flowey could sense was inside the boy's body.

 

FLOWEY 

C-Chara…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She's back and more determined than ever before!
> 
> She's also a little pissed off, but that's understandable, right?
> 
> It sucks to have possessed the perfect, determined soul, only for it to have the will to be independent again... so it throws you out... That's not very fun (๑•́₋•̩̥̀๑)
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Chapter currently being worked on: Chapter 13- 60%-70% finished. I had finals so I'm behind on my "write 5 chapters ahead" rule, oops! This is why I write 5 chapters ahead. It's for when I'm too busy to write, I can still upload chapters so that I can have time to take care of my business and then catch up! I should be finished with Chapter 13 and 14 by the end of next week. Then, I'll be back on track. Woo!


	11. Chapter 10: Best Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowey and Chara make a deal, and Flowey feels something new about it. Also, we get an update as to how monsterkind is coping on the surface!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for being late with this one. I usually post on the 1st of every month, but I was on a little vacation. I hope you enjoy the chapter regardless! <3

          Flowey shook in fear at the sight of Chara. He always repeated the same words to her after every reset ever since the first genocide run. Chara killed him during the first run, confirming to him that she was still very angry with him for betraying their plan to free monsters from the Underground back when they were both properly alive. However, after that, he still hoped that they could put their differences aside and work together. It never happened.

 

FLOWEY 

Y-You’re not going to kill me… a-are you? B-Because you can’t! Genie and Sans are in there, and they’ll be really upset if you do! Even… Even Sans! You know how much he cares about Frisk and what she wants for me! So… So-...!

CHARA 

Don’t worry, Azzy… I’d kill you regardless if your friends were nearby or not.. I’d even kill you if they were watching.

 

        Flowey felt a cold shiver go up his stem.

 

CHARA 

You and I both know that you are on very thin ice with me… So, how about a deal?

FLOWEY 

A-A deal?

CHARA 

Yeah… if you help me and do EXACTLY what I tell you to do, then I won’t kill you. That’s a promise.

FLOWEY 

H-How do I know that you’re not lying?

CHARA 

You don’t. You just have to trust me… Look, if you help me, then that’s your way of making it up to me. Better?

 

          It wasn’t that much better for one reason. Flowey knew that he didn’t have a choice in the matter. If he said no, he didn’t doubt that she’d... make him disappear.

 

FLOWEY 

O-Okay, well… what will I be helping you with?

CHARA 

I need to get back my control over Frisk. She was able to gather up so much determination that she actually knocked me out and shoved me out of her body during the last genocide run. So, getting back that control is important. You see, I want to do another reset. Without my control over Frisk, I won’t be able to do that.

FLOWEY 

How will you-... How will _we_ be able to do that?

CHARA 

Well, Frisk has a lot of determination right now. She’s so determined to not let me back in her head that she has stomped down the very thought of me. When she _does_ think about me, it’s completely filled with hate and rejection. Not that I care, but those feelings prevent me from getting close to her. She needs to feel… helpless and desperate.

FLOWEY 

How will we get her to feel that way?

CHARA 

That’s where _you_ come in… I want you to sneak around and take notes on the humans that are close to Frisk. If I hurt them, then I can really cause some chaos in her life.

FLOWEY 

Why not hurt the monster friends she has now?

CHARA 

Because the humans won’t give a damn if a few monsters are hurt… or dead.

 

          Flowey widened his eyes at the realization of what the consequences of Chara’s plans were if they were successful.

 

FLOWEY 

You want to raise the tensions between humans and monsters. If you can’t get back into Frisk’s body now, you can mess up her plans so much that Frisk would have no choice but to reset herself… it wouldn’t be the perfect ending that she wants for monsterkind… She falls back into the Underground… you control her again.

CHARA 

Exactly. See? I knew you were smart, Azzy.

FLOWEY 

This is… really going to cause a lot of chaos.

CHARA 

… You don’t sound excited about it.

FLOWEY 

N-No, it’s n-not that!!! I’m just… wondering if it’s… p-possible?

 

          Chara scowled and went over to Flowey. She grabbed his stem and pulled him up so that his face was close to hers. Frightened, Flowey let out a pathetic yelp.

 

CHARA 

It WILL be possible if you do EXACTLY what I tell you to do. Do you get it, Azzy?

FLOWEY 

Y-Yes!!! Yes, I get it, Chara! P-Please don’t hurt me!

CHARA 

Good. I’ll come back so you can update me on your progress.

FLOWEY 

O-O-Okay!

 

          Chara went back into the darkness of the forest. After a long moment of silence, Flowey nearly jumped out of his pot when he heard a loud thump land next to him. He looked over to his right and stared at Genie’s cat, Luna. She was right in his face. Flowey immediately screamed in surprise, and he leaned back so quickly that he fell off the table. Flowey growled to himself as he heard footsteps run to the door. Genie practically slammed the door open and stepped out.

 

GENIE 

FLOWEY?!

FLOWEY 

Down here… to your right. I fell off the table because your stupid cat jumped on it right next to me and I didn’t expect it.

 

          Flowey’s petals bristled when he heard a chuckle from inside.

 

FLOWEY 

SHUT THE FUCK UP, SANS, YOU PIECE OF- AH!

 

          Genie was feeling around for Flowey on the floor and poked his face by accident when she found him. She picked him up.

 

GENIE 

Sorry. Well, at least your pot didn’t break… miraculously. I can’t believe you got scared by Luna.

FLOWEY 

Sh-Shut up.

GENIE 

Sorry, I don’t mean to tease… Anyway, we have a surprise for you! Sans even helped… sort of! All he did was hand things to me. I did all the hard work. C’mon!

 

          Genie carried Flowey inside and set him on the kitchen table. She put the plate of cookies down in front of him and smiled.

 

GENIE 

When Frisk told me you were able to eat, I couldn’t wait to bake for you! I hope you like it. You can take whatever you don’t finish home with you.

FLOWEY 

Um… thanks.

 

          Flowey scrunched up his nose at the sight of the cookies. They were shaped irregularly and looked messy. He picked one up with his leaf and ate it. Making a noise of surprised satisfaction, he nodded his head.

 

FLOWEY 

This isn’t poisonous...

GENIE 

What’s that supposed to mean!?

FLOWEY 

You’re kind of BLIND.

GENIE 

Oh, rude! I can still cook even though I’m blind.

FLOWEY 

How?

GENIE 

Well, everything’s labeled in braille and I taste everything. I know where everything is in my own kitchen. If I have someone with me it’s easier, but I can cook pretty well on my own.

FLOWEY 

That’s actually… impressive.

GENIE 

Aw! Thank you for all the compliments, Flowey!

 

          Flowey widened his eyes and could feel his cheeks flush a multitude of colors. He just gave a compliment. It was genuine. However, just as soon as he could feel proud of himself, the memory of Chara’s plans stomped down those positive emotions. He did not dare show it though. Sans was watching him closely… as always.

 

FLOWEY 

Y-You’re welcome! Hee-hee…

GENIE 

I have a lot to report to Toriel and Frisk today when they get here…

 

          Genie was just about to finish putting the cookies away in plastic bag when there was the familiar knock-pattern from the door. Genie smiled and picked Flowey up, taking him to the door. Sans followed them. Genie opened up the door and grinned.

 

GENIE 

Frisk? Toriel?

TORIEL 

Hello! How was Flowey today?

GENIE 

Great! He kind of laughed and he gave me a compliment!

TORIEL 

Oh, how wonderful!!! We are so proud of you, Flowey.

 

          Genie could hear the subtle strain in Toriel’s voice whenever she said Flowey’s name. It was going to take a very long time until Flowey could accept his real name, so everyone had to call him, “Flowey,” instead of, “Asriel.” That was harder for Toriel and Asgore to deal with, since his name is a combination of their own, an obvious reference to the fact that Flowey was their son. So, not calling Flowey by his true name was in a way, to them, almost the same as saying that he wasn’t their son. They tried not to think about it too much.

 

GENIE 

Yeah… Oh, and Luna scared the heck out of him today.

FRISK 

I would pay to see that.

SANS 

i didn’t see it, but hearing him explain how he fell on the floor because of it was pretty funny.

TORIEL 

Oh, that’s not funny! Are you hurt, Flowey?

FLOWEY 

Quit fussing over me. I’m FINE.

 

          Flowey growled at Sans, while Toriel checked every bit of him to make sure he was alright. He could hear Sans coughing back his laughter.

 

FLOWEY 

Okay, okay, can we go now? I’m tired of this place.

TORIEL 

Yes, of course. Oh! Are those cookies, Genie?

GENIE 

Haha, yeah, they’re supposed to be, anyway. I know they probably look pretty bad, but I know they taste really good! Flowey certainly thought so. Wanna take them home?

TORIEL 

We would love to, thank you! Sans, would you like to walk with us?

SANS 

nah, i’ve got plans with genie.

FRISK 

Yeah, I bet you do…

 

          Frisk wiggled her eyebrows. Sans’ sockets went dark and he turned on his heel, immediately walking back inside.

 

FRISK 

… because you’re such GOOD FRIENDS! Bye, Sans, bye Genie! Have fun!

GENIE 

Pff, you too! Have a good afternoon!

 

           Genie waved as Frisk carried Flowey while she and Toriel walked back to the camp. Genie closed her door, shaking her head. She knew what Frisk was trying to imply. Even if she did look amused, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered. She shrugged off the feeling though, and outstretched her hand towards Sans.

 

GENIE 

Hall?

 

          Sans took her hand.

 

SANS 

hall.

 

          In just seconds, Sans shortcutted himself and Genie to the Judgement Hall.

 

          Meanwhile, Frisk and Toriel reached their home. Over the past month, the monster campsite was being filled with wooden houses. Some were complete, some were still being built, and some were temporary. Thanks to Frisk’s ability to advocate for the monsters’ rights to live on the surface without limitation, monsters were starting to move into the valley. Despite Frisk's best efforts, though, they weren’t allowed inside the city just yet. However, the monsters were happy to move into Goudenbloem and the surrounding villages. Some monsters made temporary shacks on the cliff while their proper houses were being built in the valley. That was what Toriel’s house currently was. It was just a one-room shack, but it was only really used to sleep in. Her new home, and the rest of Frisk’s closest friends' own homes as well, were currently being built by parent volunteers from the school. Fayre declared it as a big thank you to Frisk and her friends for rebuilding their school and making it successful again. Fayre was using the left-over money from the donations for the rebuilding of the school so that they can pay for the projects, and was also using her authority to make absolutely  _sure_ that the parents and the rest of the community were actually doing it. That's how Fayre decided to teach her villagers how to be thankful, evento _monsters_. Any complaints about how they were doing the projects for monsters were dismissed entirely. Fayre wasn't going to tolerate it.

          Frisk put Flowey on her bed. Toriel went over to the corner of the one-room shack where there was a large wooden tub. She filled it with water and used her fire magic to heat up the water. Once it was comfortably hot, she hung up a towel onto a wooden bar to block the view of the tub.

 

TORIEL 

Alright, Frisk! Your bath is ready!

FRISK 

Thanks, mom!

TORIEL 

You’re very welcome!

 

          While Frisk bathed, Toriel took some of Genie’s cookies and ate them. She smiled as she tasted them.

 

TORIEL 

They’re very good! Perhaps I could try to teach her how to shape them properly… That would be nice, right, Flowey?

FLOWEY 

Yeah… I guess.

TORIEL 

… Are you alright?

FLOWEY 

I’m… fine. Just tired.

TORIEL 

Flowey… I am your mother… you can tell me anything.

FLOWEY 

Look, I just want to go to sleep, okay?

 

          Toriel sighed.

 

TORIEL 

Alright, I won’t press any further… Just make sure that you and Frisk get good sleep tonight, alright?

FLOWEY 

Yeah.

 

          After drying herself and getting dressed behind the towel, Frisked exited their makeshift bathroom. Frisk put Flowey on a little night table Asgore made for her and climbed into her bed. After Toriel was ready for bed herself, she settled in for the night. Frisk admired Toriel’s cute pajamas, which had pie patterns on it, before falling asleep. Flowey pretended to sleep for around an hour before he crept out of his flower pot and ducked into the floor.

          Flowey popped up in front of Genie’s house and raised a curious brow. Her lights were on, but he couldn’t sense any souls inside. She wasn’t home, but Flowey wasn’t sure where she and Sans would've gone. He started popping up from the ground around the area and even in the town. Signs of Genie and Sans were nowhere to be found, and he needed to find them quickly. Chara was probably going to check in on him tomorrow, and he needed to find out something useful about Genie if he didn’t want Chara to get mad at him for, “slacking off.” He went back to Mt. Ebott and stopped. In his roots, he could feel movement back in the Underground. Specifically in the Judgment Hall. He widened his eyes in realization and quickly popped up at the right entrance to the Judgement Hall. He could hear Sans and Genie laughing, and he popped up behind one of the pillars so he could get a better look. There he saw Sans and Genie on Sans and Papyrus’ old couch, playing a board game.

 

GENIE 

You are so cheating.

SANS 

i am… so not cheating.

GENIE 

You’re taking advantage of my blindness.

SANS 

pfft, what? i would never…

 

          Flowey watched them curiously. Sans would only genuinely smile when he was with Papyrus or Toriel, so to see him do the same with a human was surprising. Flowey figured that Sans wouldn’t be very trusting of another human… then again, he did have the power of Karma. With that power, he can feel other people’s past sins and judge who they are as people. Genie must not be a threat on his radar, unlike Chara or even Frisk.

 

SANS 

what do you mean you're, "running out?"

 

          That questioned snapped Flowey from his thoughts immediately. He was completely missing their conversation, so he decided that he needed to pay attention and focus.

 

GENIE 

I took some of them this morning and the bottle was feeling light. I counted and I only have a few pills left. Gotta get a new bottle of them soon.

SANS 

want me to steal a bottle?

GENIE

NO! You'll get in trouble!!!

SANS

how else was i supposed to get your secret medicine? if people see  _me_ getting that medicine, they'll get suspicious. i could even scale the buildin'. they'll never know!

GENIE

You'll get it by taking me there so I can PAY FOR IT so that you DO NOT scale the building to get it!!!

SANS

c'mon, it'll be fine. i'll scale up the buildin'... then i'll scale down the buildin'... and then i'll give you the medicine.

GENIE

That's a stupid idea! You might get caught and go to prison!

SANS

yeah, that'd be a problem... because prison walls aren't  _built to scale._

 

          Genie stared towards Sans, who had a cheeky grin on his face that she couldn't see but _knew_ he was wearing, and then grabbed her cane. She stood up.

 

GENIE

Take me home.

SANS

what?! why?

GENIE

Because you set up that whole conversation about you _stealing my_ _Hyper-MO medication_... for a pun. I need to get home before you rope me into another one.

 

          Sans chuckled, his grin widening.

 

SANS

we haven't finished our monopoly game, so by Hall Rules, you're not allowed to leave yet or else you're a bad friend... by the way, ya made the Hall Rules, so ya can't get mad at me for followin' them.

 

          Genie gave an exaggerated, dramatic sigh and sat back down at the couch. To say that Flowey was intrigued was an understatement. He didn't care for the jokes they had for each other. What pulled at Flowey's interest was the mention of Genie having to take, "Hyper-MO" medications. Flowey pocketed that information, and hoped that Chara knew what those were. Knowing her, she probably already does. Genie's voice brought his attention back to the two of them again, who had resumed their board game.

 

GENIE 

So… Have you spoken with Papyrus yet?

SANS 

… nope.

GENIE 

Sans. You have to tell him about your nightmares. I met with him in the morning at Cafe Honey Bee, the place Muffet got a job at, and he was telling me that you had another nightmare! He said you’ve been getting them less frequently, but it’s still a huge concern for him.

SANS 

he shouldn’t have to worry about it. it’s just a nightmare.

 

          Genie put her player piece down on the board. Sans grabbed another card from the deck, and tightened his grip as Genie spoke. He disliked talking about this.

 

GENIE 

Look.. I know you would wake up straight from a reset, as if you were having a nightmare, but it was actually during the previous reset. The fact that you are getting _real_ nightmares of the resets… I’m getting worried too.

SANS 

it’s not like i can forget what happened. wish i could.

GENIE 

You have to move on.

SANS 

if only it were that easy.

GENIE 

I'm not saying that. What I mean is, you can’t just sleep it off.

SANS 

heh… i have to "persevere?"

GENIE 

Yes! To do that, you need to start going out more and making BETTER memories.

SANS 

isn’t that what i’m doin' now?

GENIE 

Sort of. You need to have _more_ fun... Like... Let’s go to the beach tomorrow! We can invite everyone!

SANS 

i’m more of an indoors kind of guy…

GENIE 

Not anymore, starting tomorrow!

SANS 

genie… come on…

GENIE 

Nope! I've already made up my mind!

SANS 

this is unnecessary.

GENIE 

It’s completely necessary. Let me do this for you.

SANS 

Why?!

 

          Sans widened his sockets as Genie gave him a look that he could only describe as, “genuine concern.”

 

GENIE 

Because you need it.

SANS 

… that so?

GENIE 

Yeah. So stop complaining and trust me!

SANS 

heh, ya got it.

 

          Flowey frowned, more guilt creeping up his stem. He dove into the ground quietly, leaving Genie and Sans to finish their game alone, and he popped up outside his mother’s home. Flowey sighed at the sight of Chara, who was still possessing the young boy’s body. She was sitting in front of the door. So much for Flowey taking the time to mentally prepare himself for seeing her tomorrow.

 

CHARA 

Find out anything interesting about that human you were with?

 

          Flowey decided that, for his sanity, to completely ignore that Chara knew exactly where he was and what he was doing.

 

FLOWEY 

Genie is Frisk’s closest human friend. She’s completely blind.

CHARA 

She’ll be easy…

 

         Flowey winced at that implication, but continued.

 

FLOWEY 

Genie and Sans like to hang out inside the Judgement Hall.

CHARA 

Perfect… go on.

FLOWEY 

Genie takes, "Hyper-MO medicine.” Apparently she’s almost out of pills. Know what that is?

CHARA 

Yep. Her magic levels are so high that using magic can cause damage to her body, called magic attacks.. it could even kill her… The pills help delay how quickly the magic attacks do enough damage to kill her. It's a pretty famous condition... Anyways, I want you to do me a little favor, Azzy.

FLOWEY 

Y-Yeah?

CHARA 

Empty her medicine bottle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray! Part 2: Moving Forward has been completed. Part 3 is almost finished (remember, I write 5 chapters ahead). Part 3 will come with additional warnings at the beginning of each chapter, so be aware of those before you read. This is also true for the other chapters in the future! The warnings will be in the end chapter notes of the previous chapter, and the beginning of the chapter that the warnings reference. For example, if chapter 25 has gore, the end chapter notes of 24 and the beginning chapter notes of chapter 25 will have gore warnings. 
> 
> Also, I will reveal the title for Part 3 once I post Chapter 11. It might come out either by the end of this month or the beginning of next month as always.
> 
> ONE LAST THING! I have officially completed 10 chapters, so, I will be combing over all 10 chapters over the month and fixing/changing them if I need to. By the end of the month, go ahead and re-read some of the chapters to spot the changes! They will be very minor, if there are any, so don't expect any major story changes.


	12. Chapter 11: Beach Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone goes to the beach!
> 
> Everyone except Flowey...
> 
> I wonder why?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gasp! An early update, hurray! I will still update on July 1st with Chapter 12, and warnings for that chapter are in the end notes! Please Enjoy.

GENIE

Where are they?

 

          Genie was in the bathroom, searching through her medicine cabinet frantically. She ignored the contents that fell out into the sink. Her medication bottle was empty of its pills, which she was sure she had. She stopped and thought to herself. 

 

_ GENIE _

_ I was sure I had a few pills left… I even counted them… didn’t I? _

 

          Genie huffed at herself, irritated that she was so careless. She put the contents of the cabinet that fell back the best she could. She threw away the empty medicine bottle inside the garbage can next to her sink. She grabbed her phone out of her purse that she was carrying and asked for the time. The text-to-speech voiced the time. She was ready for the beach. It was the afternoon, and they were going at that time since they had to wait for Frisk to get out of school. Also, since the fair on the pier looked best at night it was better to go to the beach later in the day. In addition, Genie was eager to show the monsters what a sunset on the ocean looked like. She heard it was beautiful. Genie felt around on her beach outfit, making sure it was situated right so that it looked okay. She didn’t need Henna’s help, since it was very easy to put on and was always separated in another drawer. Henna always said that she looked adorable in the outfit… She trusted Henna’s judgement.

          Genie walked outside and sat on her porch, waiting for Henna and Pete. Apparently, the mayor was also joining them, and was invited by Asgore to come. Asgore and Fayre were going to be coming straight from a town hall meeting together and were planning on changing in the bathrooms near the beach. Genie heard Frisk’s voice calling for her coupled with the sound of Pete’s pickup truck. She stood up and walked over to the truck once it stopped in front of her home.

 

FRISK

You look so cute, Genie!

GENIE

Thank you, Frisk! I bet you look adorable!

 

          Everyone was dressed in their own beach outfits. All the monsters were sitting on the bed of the truck to enjoy the fresh air and the clear views of their surroundings, while Frisk was sitting inside in the backseat. In the front was Henna and Pete, with Pete at the wheel. The only person missing was Flowey, who didn’t want to join them. They put Grillby in charge of him… unfortunately... for Flowey at least.

          Genie climbed into the backseat of the truck with Frisk, and then they were off. The back window was open so that everyone who was inside the car could talk with the monsters sitting in the bed of the truck. They talked for a while, admiring the view of the city from afar. Frisk assured everyone that monsters were allowed on the beach, since many residents from Waterfall lived in water, that way the monsters that could handle salt water could have a place to live. This included monsters like Onionsan who was an octopus-like monster that longed to live in the sea on the surface.

          Genie breathed in and sighed as the salty smell of the ocean hit her. She always loved the smell of the ocean, and even the pier in general. It was full of good food, and plenty of fun bars and clubs to party in. The smells were always a sign of a fun time.

          The group climbed out of the truck once Pete settled in a parking place that was close to the fair on the pier and the beach itself. They got out and, while ignoring some rude stares from the humans around, they picked a spot on the beach and started setting down their towels on the sand. Once they finished, Henna could see Fayre and Asgore approaching them, dressed for the beach. Henna whistled at Fayre, who was in an obviously expensive bikini.

 

HENNA

I didn’t know our beloved, respected mayor would dress so revealing!

FAYRE

Behave yourself.

PETE

Ha, shut down.

 

          Henna pouted and put her hands on her hips. Genie shook her head, smiling.

 

GENIE

I’m going to take a walk. I can’t exactly join you guys in the water because of my lack of eyes. I don't want salt water getting in my sockets.

FRISK

What about goggles? I think my mom brought some!

GENIE

Oh, you have some? Maybe later then! Right now I’d just like to enjoy the sun and the waves on my feet.

FRISK

I'll join you!

GENIE

Sure!

 

          Genie stood up with Frisk and they held hands as they strolled along the water. Pete grabbed some water guns from a bag he was carrying once they left.

 

PETE

Guess what I have? You guys are gonna get absolutely WRECKED. I have the best aim!

UNDYNE

HAH! OH REALLY? I’LL DEFINITELY BEAT YOU! ME AND ALPHYS WILL!

ALPHYS

I-I will?

UNDYNE

YEAH!

 

          Undyne ran and grabbed a water gun and handed the other to Alphys. It was easy for both of them to figure out the mechanism of the water gun, because Undyne gladly tested it out on Asgore. Asgore wiped his wet fur, chuckling. Undyne yelled victoriously.

 

UNDYNE

NGAH-HA-HA! GOTCHA! ALRIGHT! NOW THAT I KNOW HOW TO USE THIS THING… IT’S TIME TO DESTROY YOU, PETE! … WITH WATER!

 

          Pete burst out laughing and ran so that they were in an open area. Undyne encouraged Alphys to join them and she slowly became more and more confident with the water gun. Sans was very impressed, because throughout all the time that he knew Alphys, he was convinced that nothing was going to get her to come out of her shell. However, there she was, running around as she and Undyne shot water at Pete. She didn’t even flinch when he shot back, which was a very good sign. She was having fun. 

          Papyrus was building a sand castle, and he was determined to make it look as grand as possible. He was particular about the shells he used, and made sure they were of similar shape and color. Papyrus squinted at Sans.

 

PAPYRUS

SANS!!! YOU SHOULD MAKE A CASTLE TOO INSTEAD OF LAYING DOWN ON THAT TOWEL DOING NOTHING!

SANS

sure, bro.

 

          Sans picked up a bucket, filled it with sand, lazily turned it over and lifted it. It barely held together as it sunk down to just a round mound of sand. He put a stick on the top and poked his finger into the bottom of the pile with his finger, making a so-called, “entrance,” to his, “castle.” He then laid back down, grinning smugly to himself.

 

TORIEL

Sans…

SANS

yeah, tori?

TORIEL

That castle is not very...  _ sand _ sational. 

PAPYRUS

NO...

SANS

heh! don’t make a  _ dig _ at my sand castle.

TORIEL

As your friend, I have to call it like I  _ sea _ it!

SANS

_ waterever _ ! i’m  _ shore _ that you will come around to liking it sooner or later, because i can’t find any _ fin _ wrong with it. i com _ pail  _ you to-...!

PAPYRUS

THAT’S ENOUGH!!! I CAN’T TAKE IT!!! SANS, PLEASE STOP!!!

SANS

why?we seem to be having a  _ reely _ good time!

 

          Papyrus groaned while everyone sitting around them laughed. Fayre smiled, amused.

 

FAYRE

You two remind me of my daughter… which isn’t an insult, by the way. Quite the contrary. 

HENNA

Oh yeah! Isn’t your eldest daughter, Clara, a famous actress that’s in that comedy show, “Besties?”

FAYRE

Yes, that’s right. In fact, I called her down here last week so she could come give Mettaton some advice on how to succeed in the industry here on the surface.

HENNA

That’s so nice! How are your twins, Emily and Tommy, doing?

FAYRE

They’re doing great! Right, Toriel?

TORIEL

Oh, yes! They are such studious children! Have you met them, Asgore?

ASGORE

I have! They like to accompany me when I’m gardening the grounds after school. They both seem very interested in monster culture.

TORIEL

How sweet!

 

          Henna gasped when suddenly she was sprayed with water by Undyne. Henna grabbed another water gun and stood up, grinning in a challenging way.

 

HENNA

YOU WANNA GO MISS SUSHI?

UNDYNE

OH, I WANNA GO!!! ALPHY AND I VERSUS YOU AND PETE! LET’S GO! ONLY THE BEST COUPLE WINS!

PETE

ALPHYNE VERSUS PETENNA!

UNDYNE

AND PETENNA IS GOIN’ DOWN!! NGAAAAHHH!

 

          Undyne went after Henna while Pete chased after Alphys. The group watched with interest as Henna and Pete, “fought,” with Undyne and Alphys. Henna was able to use her magic to create large green shields to keep herself from being sprayed. Pete was constantly moving, searching for every opportunity to squirt Alphys, and he wasn’t even breaking a sweat doing it.

          Barking caught everyone’s attention, and Genie, who was some ways away from the group with Frisk, turned towards the noise. She gasped when she was suddenly tackled by Greater Dog, who was out of his armor.

 

GENIE

OOF! GD?

 

          Genie laughed and patted his head in response to a bark of confirmation to her guess.

 

GENIE

You’re so small! I thought you were huge?

 

         Papyrus hurried over to Genie when she fell, and helped her back on her feet.

 

PAPYRUS

GD IS ACTUALLY QUITE SMALL, SINCE HE IS NOT WEARING HIS ARMOR RIGHT NOW, WHICH MAKES HIM QUITE BIG!

GENIE

Oh, I see… It’s nice to see you again, GD!

 

          Genie gasped when another dog ran up to her and hugged her. It was also a small dog, but it was still in its armor. It was bigger than GD.

 

PAPYRUS

GREETINGS, LESSER DOG!

GENIE

Greater Dog and Lesser Dog, huh? Are you two brothers?

 

          LD barked in confirmation and Genie pat his head as he let go of her.

 

GENIE

I see! Well, nice to meet you… LD!

 

          Genie smiled as the two brothers ran off to get back to their family to continue building their sand sculptures. Frisk looked over to the two couples that went back to battling each other. Pete shot water right into Alphys’ face. Alphys wiped her eyes, laughing.

 

ALPHYS

Oh, you’re s-so dead when I clean my glasses!

 

          Pete came up behind her and said in a low, growling voice.

 

PETE

Omae wa mou shindeiru.

 

          Alphys widened her eyes and whipped her head around with a full, excited grin on her face.

 

ALPHYS

HEE-HEE! NANI?!

 

          Alphys squealed as a bucket full of sea water, which Pete quickly grabbed and filled when Alphys was busy wiping the water from her eyes, poured its contents all over her. Undyne turned around at the sound of Alphys’ squeal and gasped loudly.

 

UNDYNE

NOO! ALPHYS!

HENNA

HIYAHH!!!

 

          Undyne gasped, realizing that she took her eyes off her opponent and laughed as Henna also poured water from a bucket onto Undyne. Henna ran to Pete and gave him a high-five. Everyone clapped to congratulate the two for winning the match.

 

TORIEL

Very good!!

PETE

Thanks, Toriel!

SANS

Alphys showed you some anime, huh?

HENNA

Yeah! We invited Undyne and Alphys to our house for a couples sleepover! It was super fun! We looked up some animes online and totally binge watched a ton of them. The last few were really dramatic and sad.

UNDYNE

PETE CRIED!

PETE

W-Whoa, hey, haha, let’s not talk about that, okay?

 

          Pete blushed in embarrassment and looked away as the group laughed quietly to themselves.

 

HENNA

Okay! So, as losers, you have to get us food!

UNDYNE

Ha! That’s fair! C’MON ALPHY! NGAHH!

 

          Undyne picked up Alphys and ran off, still full of energy from the water gun battle. Alphys laughed, hugging her girlfriend tenderly as she was carried. They stopped once they got to the rows of stands that were selling food on the pier. She put Alphys down and they walked along the pier to see all their choices. They spotted the nice cream guy on a concrete part of the pier, which was overlooking a part of the beach where the monster dog family were enjoying themselves. Onionsan was also there, enjoying the feeling of being in the ocean at last. Undyne smiled fondly at the sight, thinking to herself.

 

_ UNDYNE _

_ I’ve been dreaming of this moment for these guys… for all of us! _

ALPHYS

Undyne?

_ UNDYNE _

_ Now that we’re here on the Surface, we can finally enjoy ourselves! It’s all thanks to Frisk and Asriel… Maybe we should enjoy it for a little bit... _

ALPHYS

UNDYNE!

 

          Undyne snapped back to reality and looked down at Alphys.

 

UNDYNE

Hm?

ALPHYS

Y-You spaced out! I-Is everything okay?

UNDYNE

Yeah… Yeah, everything’s fine… perfect, in fact. Do we have a time limit in getting the food?

ALPHYS

W-Well no, but we should really- oh!

 

         Undyne grabbed Alphys’ hand and brought her over to the edge of the concrete part of the pier and gestured for her to sit down. She walked over to Freddy, the nice cream guy, who stationed himself nearby and went up to him.

 

UNDYNE

Lookin’ good Freddy!

FREDDY

Hey, Undyne! Enjoying this last bit of summer at the beach? Apparently this season is gonna end in a week or so, and everything that’s green is gonna change color!

UNDYNE

Yeah, I’ve seen it on animes before! It’s called autumn, I think. It’s gonna be really cool to see it for the first time!

FREDDY

Sure, is! Want some nice cream?

UNDYNE

Yep! How much?

FREDDY

I’m sellin’ them for 12G! They’re selling so fast! I still have a few more. Want one?

UNDYNE

You bet! Wait… what’s that?

 

          Undyne pointed at a cup that was sitting inside the freezer box of the cart and Freddy grinned.

 

FREDDY

They’re called slushies! But I call’em  _ smooth _ ies.. ‘Cause they have flirty little messages around the outside

UNDYNE

Pfft, wow… Well, I’ll take the last one, then!

FREDDY

That’ll be 15G!

 

          Undyne took out her phone and selected 15G. A slot at the bottom of the phone opened and gold slid out into Undyne’s hand. Monsters and humans now both use human currency, which was fine with Undyne, because human currency made it easier to physically handle all her gold. She handed the gold to Freddy and took the cup. She waved goodbye to Freddy as she walked to Alphys, and then sat on the edge of the concrete pier with her. She handed her the  _ smooth _ ie

 

ALPHYS

Oh! F-For me? What about you?

UNDYNE

Eh, don’t worry about it. How’s it taste?

 

          Alphys sipped from the straw and widened her eyes. She looked up at Undyne and grinned.

 

ALPHYS

This is really good! Thanks, Undyne!

UNDYNE

No problem, Alphy… You like the message on it?

 

         Alphys read the message and smiled warmly, looking at Undyne.

 

_ “I thought for a second I died and went to heaven, but then I realized that I am alive and heaven has been brought to me.” _

 

ALPHYS

I love it!

 

         They both looked out, watching the waves roll onto the beach. The sound of the crashing waves was so soothing. Alphys sighed at the sound, not even noticing that she had forgotten about the  _ smooth _ ie that she was clutching in her claws. (A/N: The following part of this paragraph is directly from the ending credits of Undertale.) Undyne noticed, and decided to take this opportunity to scoot closer and closer to Alphys. She leaned over and kissed her cheek, which gave her the best reaction she could ever ask for from Alphys. Alphys turned absolutely red, and stiffened. She fell over to her side, and luckily, the contents of the slushie didn’t spill out. Undyne started laughing, laughing harder and harder as she slammed her fist into the concrete. The action was sending parts of the concrete pier to break off, but Undyne didn’t care in the slightest. Alphys’ reaction was as if she was dealt her final blow from just a kiss, and Undyne thought that was hilarious.

          Alphys quickly picked herself up and pouted at Undyne.

 

ALPHYS

N-Not in public!!!

UNDYNE

Pfft-ha-ha! Sorry, sorry… I couldn’t resist. You looked pretty while you stared at the waves… I haven’t seen you this relaxed in… well… never!

ALPHYS

W-Well… I’m having fun! Usually I’m not this active at all, but this past month has been life-changing for me. I feel like I can really c-come out of my  _ shell _ ?

 

          Undyne snorted and rolled her eyes.

 

UNDYNE

You’re terrible!

ALPHYS

Hee-hee!

 

          Undyne stood up and sighed.

 

UNDYNE

We should probably grab some food now. People are going to wonder where we’ve been.

ALPHYS

Okay!

 

          They both got up and went over to some of the stands. Undyne looked at one of them and noticed a, “new cook needed,” sign. It was comfort food stand that sold burgers, fries, and hotdogs. The hotdogs are what caught Undyne’s attention, and she grabbed a flyer from the stand and read it while Alphys ordered the food. Undyne was always sure to get Alphys to socialize as much as possible now that they were on the Surface. So, she always took turns with her when it came to ordering food. It was a small social interaction to some people, but it took a lot of effort for Alphys, considering that she would mostly hide in her lab back in the Underground. Undyne rolled up the flyer and put it inside her phone’s dimension box. Once she and Alphys paid for the food, they walked back to the others. Genie and Frisk were back from their walk, and were sitting on their own towels.

 

UNDYNE

HEY! I got the grub! First thing’s first, though…

 

          Undyne set the food down in the middle of the circle of towels everyone was sitting on and took out the flyer from her phone. She shoved it in Sans’ face.

 

UNDYNE

You ran a ton of hotdog stands in the Underground. So, this SHOULD peak your interest.

SANS

they need a new cook?

UNDYNE

Yup! Pretty sure you can impress them with the hotcats you make.

PETE

Hot… cats?

FRISK

It’s when Sans uses some monster magic while cooking a hotdog long enough to make it into a hotcat! You know they’re ready when the sizzling starts to sound like little meows! You should do it, Sans!

SANS

eh, i’ll check it out.

FRISK

Pretty sure Genie’s gonna make sure you do.

GENIE

We both will, right?

FRISK

Yep!

PAPYRUS

AS WILL I!!! MY BROTHER IS QUITE LAZY SO YOU WILL NEED MY EXPERTISE IN MOTIVATION IN ORDER TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT MY BROTHER TAKES THIS OPPORTUNITY!

SANS

heh… alright, alright, i get it.

 

          The group enjoyed the food. It was the perfect kind of food. It wasn’t too greasy, and was definitely homemade-quality. Even Papyrus enjoyed it, even though this type of comfort food wasn’t his style. Sans was impressed with the hotdogs, and found himself actually a little excited about the job opportunity. He had been so hesitant to do most things, since he was still waiting for the world to reset again. However, as he looked at Frisk, he could tell that she had no intentions on resetting any time soon. Sans just hoped that his conclusion was correct. Sans flinched a bit when Frisk looked straight into his sockets, noticing that he was staring at her.

 

FRISK

Y… Yeah, Sans?

SANS

it’s… nothing, frisk.

 

          Genie didn’t need to look at Sans for Sans to know that she was disappointed at his answer. He sighed.

 

SANS

maybe later, kiddo.

FRISK

Okay… hey, Sans, wanna go swimming with me and Papyrus?

PAPYRUS

YES! IF YOU ARE FEELING LAZY, WE CAN BRING FRISK’S DUCK TUBE!

FRISK

Yeah! It kind of looks like Donny! Doesn’t it?

PAPYRUS

THAT’S THE BIRD IN WATERFALL THAT CARRIED YOU, YES?

FRISK

Yep! So, Sans, I can give you my duck tube if you don’t wanna swim… or you can stay here with Genie!

 

          Sans narrowed his sockets at Frisk and rolled his eyelights. He glanced at Genie, who was currently talking with Toriel. Looking back at Frisk, he sighed and mumbled his answer.

 

SANS

… i’ll go swimmin’...

 

          Frisk giggled teasingly and dragged her two skeleton friends with her to the water as Sans lazily dragged the duck tube with him. Frisk was doing her best to get back onto Sans’ good side. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Sans everything that she was hiding. The last thing she wanted was for her to ruin this run, and so she put up a front. She had to be Frisk, the happy, ambitious little human child that saved all the monsters in the Underground… not the pathetic, weak little human child that helped to erase the entire world countless times in the hopes that she and her, “partner” would discover a, “better,” ending. Frisk inwardly frowned at that fact. She was so cowardly, and would blame Chara for everything that happened. In reality, Frisk could definitely have mustered up the courage and determination to drive Chara out of her at the first sign of trouble or the first hint of deception. Though, that’s not what happened. Frisk allowed Chara to run wild, just because she was curious to see how many endings they could get. If they only killed Papyrus, would they get to fight Sans? If they killed everyone but Mettaton, would he then rule the Underground? If they killed Flowey, would he remember? If they only killed Toriel, would Sans-...?

          Frisk flinched at those questions, the answers were burned into her mind. There was no way she could forget. The only thing she could do, was hide what she knew to avoid ruining everything… like she would always do in the past. Frisk turned her attention to the water, which was reaching her waist.

 

PAPYRUS

DOES THE WATER FEEL OKAY?

FRISK

Yeah, it feels great, Paps!

 

           Frisk turned to Sans, who was already sitting in the duck tube, lazily drifting over the gentle waves. He was... asleep.

 

PAPYRUS

WELL, THAT DIDN’T TAKE LONG… FRISK! I HAVE AN IDEA!

FRISK

Hm?

 

          Papyrus grinned mischievously and pointed at Sans. He whispered quietly to Frisk.

 

PAPYRUS

PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE HIM GET OFF HIS LAZY BONES AND PLAY?

 

          Frisk grinned back and nodded. Papyrus quickly sunk underneath the water and Frisk paddled over to Sans, stopping right in front of him. She poked his tube, the movement rousing him from his slumber.

 

FRISK

Hey… Hey, Sans…

 

          Sans grunted and shifted in the tube. He peeked open an eye socket at Frisk.

 

SANS

what, kid? I’m tryin’ to-...

 

          Sans let out a noise of surprise when his tube was suddenly flipped over by Papyrus, who was hiding underneath Sans in the water. Sans popped his head out of the water with a gasp and stared at Papyrus, who did the same, but was laughing. Sans was a bit shocked, but then he realized what they were trying to get him to do. He was about to protest before Frisk splashed him.

 

PAPYRUS

NYEH-HEH! I THINK FRISK IS CHALLENGING YOU TO A WATER-SPLASHY DUEL!

 

          Sans rolled his eyes and looked at Frisk, thinking to himself.

 

_ SANS _

_ she may not be resettin’, but she’s still actin’ like as if nothin’s up… considerin’ how she stopped the last genocide route-… wait… you know what? _

 

          Sans looked at Papyrus, and saw how happy he was. He looked at everyone who was on the beach, talking and laughing together. He looked back at Frisk.

 

_ SANS _

_ to hell with it all. _

 

          Sans used his blue magic on Frisk’s soul, chuckling a bit at the fear in her face. Then, he thrust her into a wave, using it to completely splash water all over her. He released her soul, and Frisk wiped her hair out of her face. She looked at Sans in surprise, and then gave him the biggest smile she could muster.

 

PAPYRUS

BROTHER! NO BLUE MAGIC! THAT IS CHEATING!

SANS

heh, don’t think i forgot about you, bro…

 

          Papyrus stared at his brother for a moment before scrambling away, but Sans immediately used his blue magic to do to Papyrus what he did to Frisk. Papyrus laughed and splashed Sans in one of his eye sockets.

 

PAPYRUS

BULLS _ EYE _ ! AM I RIGHT, BROTHER?

 

          Sans snorted and Frisk burst out laughing. They continued their splashing, and Sans practically forgot about his laziness in the moment. Frisk had to take a moment and bask in what she saw from Sans. A genuine smile. Not a smile that was plastered on his face in his attempts of hiding his emotions from the world. A real, happy smile. Frisk knew that it was going to take a long time for Sans to move on from the horrors she caused and allowed to continuously happen, but at least now she could say that she and Papyrus were able to make him happy. Even if it was for just this moment.

          Many hours passed, and Papyrus, Sans, and Frisk were sitting on the beach, close to the water. Pete ran over to them with the others.

 

PETE

Hey! Fayre's daughter is here, and look what she brought with her!

 

          Pete pointed, and all of them gasped. Out there, on the water, was one large dual console boat that was being driven by Fayre's eldest daughter, Clara. Clara waved to them and pointed towards the docks and drove in that direction, inviting them to climb aboard. Everyone went over to their towels and cover ups, dusted the sand off of them, and put them on. They walked to the docks, and everyone besides Fayre was looking at the boats in bewilderment. All the boats were of varying sizes and types, but the particular part of the docks that they were in were most definitely home to the most expensive and luxurious. 

 

ASGORE

I did not know that being a mayor was so lucrative.

 

          Fayre shook her head.

 

FAYRE

It’s not. Sure, I do earn enough to buy nice things, but nothing like that. That is all Clara. She is an amazing actress, and gets paid very well. So, she can afford to spend her money on things like that.

 

          They arrived to Clara’s boat, that she just finished docking, and she eagerly walked over to the back of the boat.

 

CLARA

Hello! I’m glad you saw me. It’s about to be sunset, and I heard that you guys were here at the beach! So, I thought it would be a cool idea to take you guys to see what a sunset on the ocean looks like. Plus, when you’re out there at night, you can see the stars much better! 

UNDYNE

YEAH! We should totally do this! I’m getting in the boat!

ALPHYS

M-Me too!

 

          Clara helped them all get into the boat. The boat could only fit ten people. So, Pete and Henna decided to stay behind.

 

TORIEL

Are you sure?

PETE

Yeah, it’s fine!

HENNA

There’s always next time for us, but for you guys? You guys haven’t seen it at all, and Genie’s never been on a boat before. So, don’t worry! We’ll go ahead and take this time to have an awesome mini-date! We’ll be waiting for you guys when you get back. After all, we’ve still got the fair to check out, and that place is super fun at night!

UNDYNE

Sounds AWESOME!

 

          Henna and Pete waved as Clara exited the docks and out onto the water. Henna squeezed Pete’s hand.

 

HENNA

… I can’t imagine what it must have been like in the Underground.

PETE

It must’ve been pretty bad… I mean, come on.. They’ve never seen the ocean until today, and not even the sky until about a month ago.

HENNA

At least there hasn’t been any incidents between humans and monsters.

PETE

We’ve got that much to be thankful for, yeah…

 

          Henna went silent and then looked up at Pete.

 

HENNA

Do you think it’s gonna last? Our track record as a species isn’t very consistent when it comes to times of peace.

 

          Pete raised a brow and looked down at Henna quizzically. 

 

PETE

Why the doubts all of a sudden?

HENNA

Maybe I’m being paranoid, but, I just don’t trust the calm. Humanity always finds a way to mess things up… I just hope that nothing ruins this for them. They deserve to be happy and just… Just free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave our dear blue bunny ice cream vendor the name, "Freddy." I think it suits him since the founder of Wells Enterprises, which is the maker of Blue Bunny ice cream, is named Fred! Since the bird that carries you over the bridge looks like a little duck, I chose the name, "Donny," after Donald Duck! I think that's a cute name for him, yeah?
> 
> Also, do you see what I'm doing with the fulfillment of the post-pacifist scenes in the end credits of Undertale? Expect more of those!
> 
> I'm basically done with Part 3: Good Times. I'll be editing the chapters of course as I go alone with Part 4. Before I start Part 4, however, I'm going to finally go back into the previous chapters and re-read and edit them (a little bit).
> 
> ALSO, remember those warnings I told you all about a little while back? Here's some to keep in mind:
> 
> CHAPTER 12 WILL CONTAIN A FIGHT SCENE THAT WILL INCLUDE DESCRIPTIONS OF: GORE, VOMITING, AND BLOOD!  
> Because of these warnings, I decided to change the rating to Teen and Up (judging by the types of movies and tv shows teens are watching these days, I think that's a suitable rating). 
> 
> Oh, and thank you for the kudos! I greatly appreciate the encouragement. (*ˊᗜˋ*)/ᵗᑋᵃᐢᵏ ᵞᵒᵘ*
> 
> Now, without further ado, let's get these good times rollin'!


	13. Chapter 12: A Night of Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stargazing, riding fun carnival rides, throwing darts... There's enough fun at the pier for everybody!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY, YOU! ARE YOU SENSITIVE TO MENTIONS/DESCRIPTIONS OF GORE, BLOOD, AND VOMIT?
> 
> THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO SKIP SOME PARTS OF THIS CHAPTER....
> 
> BUT WORRY NOT! THERE WILL BE WARNINGS BEFORE THOSE SCENES HAPPEN AS YOU READ.

          The monsters were amazed as they watched the sunset on the water. The way the sun reflected off the ocean on the horizon was beautiful, and the sky was colored with oranges, pinks, and purples. The waves of the ocean were gentle, and they made a soothing rhythm as they gently slapped against the boat. The boat rocked delicately, and luckily no one was getting seasick. Toriel leaned over and whispered to Frisk.

 

TORIEL 

So… is no one going to say anything?

 

          Frisk looked at her, confused for a moment before following her gaze. It was Asgore and Fayre, at the front of the boat, talking. They were whispering so quietly that no one around them could hear them speaking to each other. That, however, wasn’t what Toriel was referring to. What she was referring to was the brilliant pink hue that was steadily spreading across Asgore’s fur. It must have been something Fayre said to cause it, because she had a cheeky smirk on her face. Frisk looked up at Toriel with worry, and whispered back to her.

 

FRISK 

Is it bothering you?

TORIEL 

Well.. no, my child, but… It _is_ surprising.

FRISK 

Why?

TORIEL 

Well… Could you imagine him trying to flirt after so long?

 

          Frisk slapped her hand over her mouth when a laugh threatened to burst out of her. Toriel giggled.

          Asgore and Fayre flinched at the noises Frisk and Toriel made as they tried to stifle their laughter, which suddenly pierced the previously silent atmosphere and interrupted Asgore and Fayre’s private conversation. Fayre looked at Toriel, and then back to Asgore, and then back at Toriel. Frisk wiggled her eyebrows at them. Fayre and Asgore, as if in pre-calculated unison, flushed a dark shade of red. Toriel smiled and shook her head as Frisk giggled more.

        Once the sun set completely, everything became pitch black. Clara fumbled with a few switches on her boat until finally, the boat lit up. Soft, pink lights shined from the LED lights that lined the floor of the boat. The boat also had lights under the water, so the pink light glowed around the boat as well. Clara smiled at the monsters.

 

CLARA 

Look up.

 

          Once they followed Clara’s advice, they were met with a spectacular view. All of their jaws fell open in awe. The night sky was clearer and more detailed than they had ever seen it. Clara was correct when she said that the lights back on land obscured a proper view of the stars. Not only were the stars visible, but so was the beautiful side-view of the Milky Way galaxy. It brilliantly glittered across the sky. The boat fell silent as everyone appreciated the view. Everyone except Genie, however. She didn’t express her feelings about that, though. She taught herself when she was very young to not complain about the fact she couldn’t see what everyone else was seeing. She did that to avoid ruining the moment for others, and she knew it was rude. Her parents always reminded her that the world didn’t revolve around her, or anybody else for that matter. There were things that she wasn’t going to be able to do, and that she simply needed to accept that and move on.

          After a while, they made their way back to the docks. Henna and Pete were waiting for them. Henna had LED necklaces all over her. She wore one as a headband, and the rest were dangling from her neck and wrists. Pete looked almost the same, but had undone LED necklaces sticking out of his hair. How he managed to do that with straight hair, nobody knew. Clara giggled at the sight.

 

CLARA 

Looks like you two partied hard while we were out on the water!

HENNA 

Heck yeah we did! It’s time for us to go to the fair!!!

CLARA 

You guys are gonna love it! Go have fun! I’ve gotta get back to the theater in Goudenbloem and check up on Mettaton! Mom has to go get her beauty sleep.

FAYRE 

Ha-Ha, very funny, Clara.

ASGORE 

Oh, she doesn’t need that.

FAYRE 

Well, I _am_ getting very-... What?

ASGORE 

What?

 

          A shared realization of what Asgore implied when he said that Fayre didn’t _need_ beauty sleep passed between them. Asgore and Fayre's entire faces exploded with dark red hues again and they turned away from each other, but before Fayre turned away, Asgore had spotted a spark of yellow magic in Fayre's eyes. Clara broke the awkward silence.

 

CLARA 

Well that was ADORABLE.

 

          Fayre put her finger to her lips and glared at her daughter. Clara snickered as she turned back to her boat’s console. Fayre turned to Asgore, who was still turned away due to embarrassment. She smiled.

 

FAYRE 

Asgore?

 

          Asgore turned his head to look back at Fayre. Both of their faces were still as red as cherries.

 

FAYRE 

Thank you, for the compliment.

 

          Asgore swallowed back the lump in his throat and nodded.

 

ASGORE 

Y-You’re welcome…

FAYRE 

I’ll see you tomorrow?

 

          Asgore nodded. After an awkward handshake between the both of them, everyone unloaded from the boat. Clara blew a kiss as she backed out of their spot on the docks with her mother, and then waved at them.

 

CLARA 

SEE YOU GUYS LATER!

 

          Once Clara and Fayre left, the group followed Henna and Pete to the fair on the pier. Undyne kept grinning at Asgore and elbowing his arm as they walked. Asgore rolled his eyes at the gesture, shaking his head as he smiled.

          After they all bought their tickets, Henna clapped her hands.

 

HENNA 

ALRIGHT! Listen up! It’ll be easier to explore the fair if we split into groups! Sooo… how about.. Undyne and Alphys! You’re with me and Pete! We need help to get Alphys on some awesome rides, and also, this is totally going to be a double-date!!!

UNDYNE 

HELL YEAH!

ALPHYS 

O-O-Oh, I-I don’t kn-know those r-rides look… u-unsound. 

PAPYRUS 

WORRY NOT, DOCTOR ALPHYS! I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT IT WILL BE A TON OF FUN!

ALPHYS 

H-Have you been on these rides before?

PAPYRUS 

NOPE! BUT LOOK AT THOSE SMILES!

 

          Papyrus pointed at the riders of a contraption that had padded sections along its walls. Everyone was standing against the circular walls, and the whole platform was lifted, almost sideways, off the ground. It spun so fast, that the riders were stuck to their padded sections due to the centripetal force that was exerted onto them. Alphys widened her eyes in curiosity at the ride that was named, “Zero Gravity.” 

 

ALPHYS 

That does look k-kind of fun...

UNDYNE 

HA-HA! YES! WE'RE RIDING _THAT_ FIRST!!

HENNA 

DEFINITELY! Oh! Toriel, Asgore, and Frisk can go spend some family time together! And Papyrus...

 

          Henna winked.

 

HENNA 

Go help Sans and Genie have a good time!

 

          Sans’ ever-present grin tightened as Papyrus looked at him and Genie curiously. Then, he felt his cheekbones steadily get hotter as Papyrus grinned at him knowingly.

 

PAPYRUS 

OH, I WILL BE SURE THAT THEY WILL IMMENSELY ENJOY THEMSELVES!

SANS 

… paps…

GENIE 

Thank you, Pappy!

PAPYRUS 

NYEH-HEH-HEH! IT IS NO PROBLEM AT ALL, GENIE! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM A TRUE MASTER OF… CLOSE FRIENDSHIP!

 

          Sans pinched the ridge of his nasal bone and gave a deep, long sigh.

 

_SANS_

_This is going to be a long night, I can feel it in my bones._

 

          Sans couldn’t bring himself to even chuckle at the pun.

          Henna, Pete, Undyne, and Alphys were the first to run over to their first ride. It was Zero Gravity, and they eagerly climbed into the contraption. Once they were strapped against their respective padded sections on the wall, Undyne held Alphy’s hand reassuringly. The contraption began to spin, and they felt themselves being pressed against the wall more and more until finally, they were able to even lift their legs off the floor without falling. Alphys screamed with a mixture of fear and excitement. She screamed louder as the entire ride lifted, and the ride continued spinning in an almost-vertical position. Undyne laughed, and then both her and Alphys turned their attention to Pete, who was letting out a loud scream. Nothing was wrong, but apparently going vertical scared him. He completely forgot about this part of the ride and was texting on his phone the whole time from when they arrived at the carnival to just before they got on the ride. He didn’t enjoy heights too much. Undyne and Alphys expected Henna to get worried about him, but to their surprise, Henna started howling with laughter. Then, they realized why. Henna knew the ride was going to go vertical and didn’t tell Pete, on _purpose._ Pete screamed expletives at Henna in between his screaming, much to the shock and fury from the parents below whose children were riding as well.

          Once they got off Zero Gravity, Pete chased after Henna as she ran, ignoring the glares from the parents who watched them run off. Undyne and Alphys laughed at them as the four of them arrived at a swinging boat ride called, “Pharaoh's Fury.” Pete crossed his arms as he watched Henna climb into the ride. Undyne gave him a comforting pat on the back as she and Alphys passed him and climbed in next to Henna. The boat ride steadily got higher and higher, before it swung up to its highest point. Henna stood up, and Pete put his hands to his head in worry. Every time it swung up, Henna would stand, ignoring the carny who was yelling at her to stay seated. When the ride ended, Henna hurried off the ride with Undyne and Alphys as the carny tried to go over to her to yell at her. Henna grabbed Pete and they headed to the next ride. She was eager to continue causing mischief. They arrived at her favorite ride.

 

HENNA 

HIMALAYA!!!

 

          The ride spun around, much like Zero Gravity did, but there were individual cars instead and the ride didn't go vertical. The arms of the ride would spin the cars around so fast that the view of the riders would become blurry. The ride would then slow down, and then it would spin in the opposite direction. Loud music would also blast as the ride functioned. Alphys raised a brow at this.

 

ALPHYS 

A-Are all of these carnival rides designed to get people sick?

HENNA 

Yeah, it’s half the fun… to witness… not so much to actually be the one that’s sick. LET’S GO!

 

          Henna sat with Pete in one car and then Undyne and Alphys sat in the car in front of them. The ride began, and Alphys could feel herself being pulled by the centripetal forces towards the center of the contraption. Undyne was sitting closer to the middle of the ride, and so Alphys unintentionally began to squish her. Undyne grinned and put an arm around Alphys. Henna yelled to them. She had to yell due to the loud music.

 

HENNA 

KISS HER! IT’LL BE ROMANTIC! NO ONE ELSE IS GONNA SEE IT ANYWAY! LOOK, SEE?

 

          Undyne and Alphys looked back at Henna and Pete to see them sharing a kiss. Alphys widened her eyes and blushed pink. The wind from the ride was hitting their faces, making their hair flow behind them. It looked so romantic, so Alphys looked up at Undyne and smiled shyly. Undyne grinned and kissed her. When they pulled away, Henna and Pete were grinning at them.

 

PETE 

CUTE!

HENNA 

ADORABLE!!! ALSO... I LIED, BECAUSE WE SAW YOU GUYS KISS!

ALPHYS 

I-IT'S OKAY...!

 

          Alphys looked up at Undyne and hugged her happily. Undyne patted her on the head, smiling fondly at her. The ride finally ended, and once they got off, they noticed there were a few more police officers then there should be in a carnival. They all seemed to be searching for someone as some of the officers were walking with urgency and purpose. Undyne recognized Archer was among them, and walked up to him alone. She left Alphys with Henna and Pete, who decided to get some snacks for the four of them.

 

UNDYNE 

Archer!

 

          Archer turned around and immediately recognized Undyne. After their first encounter at the video store, Undyne would see Archer often as she and Alphys would stroll through Goudenbloem.

 

ARCHER 

Hello, Undyne!

 

          Undyne put her hands on her hips and smirked.

 

UNDYNE 

Slacking off on the job?

ARCHER 

Ha! I wish…

UNDYNE 

What are you and your people doing here, then?

ARCHER 

I’m glad you asked, because it’s important. Remember that child that was causing trouble about a month ago?

UNDYNE 

Yeah… he escaped the jail or somethin’ and you ran off to go get him… It’s… too bad about your buddies…

 

          Archer frowned a bit. He could never forget that day. He never drove so fast to the station in his life. The holding cell they were keeping the kid in was open. When Archer ran into it, he saw the little boy holding a red knife. At his feet was an officer, named Louise, who was in a pool of her own blood. She was dead with numerous stab wounds in her back. Before he could react, the little boy jumped on him. They struggled on the floor, and Archer was surprised at the child’s strength. It must have been the child’s level of violence. Louise was once caught up in a gunfight with a robber and was unfortunately forced to kill him before he could hurt her or anyone else. She was worth a lot of execution points because of it, and her level of violence also increased as a result. That meant that the child was able to absorb that power, and so it was as if the child was close to the strength of an adult human. Before the child’s knife could come down on him, the person who contacted him on the walkie-talkie, who’s name was Ian, shot the knife out of the child’s hand. Archer wasn’t sure if that was on purpose, or was simply a lucky shot, but he didn’t care. He elbowed the child in the jaw, sending the child toppling off of him. He got up and bolted to Ian, who was also inside the cell on the ground next to Louise, but was immediately saddened at the discovery that the shot was his last. When Archer turned back to the little boy, he was gone. Archer cursed himself for not at least cuffing the child, but he could only make so many right decisions in such a bad situation.

          After that, officers from across the village, and even some in the city, scoured the area for the child. They never found him, but they did recently receive a tip that the boy was spotted at the carnival. So, here he was.

 

ARCHER 

Yeah… Enough about those two for right now. What I’m trying to warn you about is that the kid might be here. He’s very deadly, armed with a knife, so we’re going to need you to evacuate the area until we can find him. Sorry…

UNDYNE 

No, I get it. Don’t worry about it… You know, I was the captain of the royal guard for the kingdom of monsters… I don’t mind helping you guys evacuate!

ARCHER 

I don’t wanna ask you to do something like that…

UNDYNE 

Hey! Don’t worry about it. I wanna make sure everyone’s safe too… and that…

 

          Undyne put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 

UNDYNE 

... No one else dies because of that crazy kid.

 

          Archer let out a shaky sigh and nodded.

 

ARCHER 

Well… Sure, you can help. Just get your girlfriend and your friends out of here first.

 

          Undyne rubbed her hands together and grinned.

UNDYNE 

Alright! Finally, some form of action!

 

          Undyne patted Archer on the back and went over to Alphys, Henna, and Pete. She explained the news to them and quickly escorted them outside the carnival. There was a large crowd beginning to form as people were informed about the evacuation. There was a lot more people to evacuate, and so Undyne got straight to work spreading the word.

          Meanwhile, Frisk, Toriel, and Asgore were just getting off a ride named, “Teacups.” Frisk giggled as the three of them stumbled a bit, still getting over the dizziness after spinning around so much. Once the dizziness subsided, they got some food. They stood around each other as they ate some fries. Frisk smiled fondly as she reminisced about what they just experienced together. She found out a lot about her new parents. Toriel was an absolute daredevil, and was willing to try to ride anything Frisk brought them to. Asgore was a bit more timid, but he enjoyed the rides regardless. Frisk was finally happy, but of course the pleasant visit to the carnival was interrupted. Undyne found them and told them about the evacuation. Frisk furrowed her brows and then widened her eyes in realization.

 

FRISK 

Did you say that the kid has a knife?

UNDYNE 

Yeah! We need to get out of here. I’m trying to especially warn monsters… we’re more vulnerable to dangerous humans… as much as I don’t want to admit that since it makes us sound so fragile…

 

          Frisk ignored almost everything Undyne said after she answered Frisk’s question. Frisk’s mind was swimming with all sorts of emotions. Most of all, it was filled with fear and panic. Frisk was about to bolt before Toriel firmly grabbed her by the hand and led her and Asgore back outside the entrance of the carnival. Frisk looked back at the carnival frantically. She desperately wanted to run inside and save whoever was in danger. She breathed in and out quietly, calming herself down. 

 

_FRISK_

_It has to be Chara! I need to stop her before she hurts anyone… But… If I try to find her, she might just possess me again. I have to stay far away from her, for my sake… but at the same time…_

 

          Frisk quietly slipped from Toriel’s grip and ran back into the Carnival before Toriel could notice and stop her.

 

_FRISK_

_For their sake, I **have** to stop her from doing... whatever it is she's doing. _

 

          Meanwhile, Sans, Papyrus, and Genie hadn’t received word yet about the evacuation, and were currently hurrying to the Ferris wheel. They had just finished completing some of the carnival games that were located in the middle of the park.

          Sans would've been enjoying himself... if it weren't for his brother whispering relentlessly as he suggested dating advice. There was one suggestion...

 

PAPYRUS 

PUT YOUR ARM AROUND HER! YOU MAY BE  A COUPLE INCHES SHORTER THAN HER, BUT SHE DOES NOT SEEM TO CARE ABOUT SIZE...?

 

          After another.

 

PAPYRUS 

TELL HER SOMETHING NICE! SOMETHING ABOUT HOW HER FLOWING, DYED LOCKS OF CURLY HAIR LOOKS LIKE IT BELONGS IN AN ANIME! HUMANS LIKE TO BE TOLD THAT, I'M SURE!

 

          After  _another._

 

PAPYRUS 

WIN A PRIZE FOR HER! IT SHOULD BE SOFT AND FLUFFY! SHE MIGHT ENJOY THAT!

 

          After  ** _another_** _._

 

PAPYRUS

OH, OH! I HAVE AN IDEA! KISS HER ON THE TOP OF THE FERRIS WHEEL... I MEAN....... WE DON'T HAVE LIPS SO THAT WON'T BE ENTIRELY POSSIBLE, BUT IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS, RIGHT?

 

 

          Sans was just about to lose his tolerance with his brother's constant pestering, but they arrived at the loading bay for the Ferris wheel. Papyrus was happy to execute his idea by getting Genie and Sans into their own cabin, but Genie had other plans. As soon as Papyrus was about to gently push Sans and Genie into one of the cabins, Genie grabbed Papyrus’ hand and switched places with him, forcing him and his brother right up to the carny that was operating the ride. Before Papyrus could even correct the situation, he and Sans were hurried into the cabin. Sans, confused and relieved, by the fact that Genie wasn’t coming with them, looked at Genie with a brow raised. With one look at her mischievous smile, Sans suddenly realized what she was doing. She wanted Sans to take this free time with his brother to talk about the truth behind his nightmares. Sans narrowed his eyes at Genie while the Ferris wheel began to turn, lifting him and his brother higher off the ground. Genie may not be able to see Sans’ expression, but even he knew that she knew that he was a little more than annoyed. Papyrus, on the other hand, decided to take this time to enjoy himself with his brother, even though he was disappointed that his plan was thwarted. There was always next time... which was as soon as the ride would end!

 

PAPYRUS 

BROTHER, LOOK!

 

          Papyrus eagerly pointed off into the distance. They weren’t at the top, not yet, but the view…

 

SANS 

whoa…

 

          …was still absolutely breathtaking. The lights from the city and buildings along the pier were twinkling gently in the distance. They seemed to blend in with the stars of the sky. He looked back at his brother and saw how struck by wonder and amazement he was. Unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid the conversation they needed to have forever, even if it was going to ruin the moment.

 

SANS

hey, bro… i gotta talk to ya about somethin’... and… it’s about the nightmares.

 

          Sans suddenly had Papyrus’ full attention. The younger skeleton looked at his brother with anticipation. Papyrus wasn’t an idiot. He knew his brother was lying when he would explain how his nightmares weren’t a big deal, and he knew that it was probably to prevent him from worrying. Despite that, however, he couldn’t help but continuously be worried. That was because he would have to hold Sans until he woke up. He previously learned that trying to wake up Sans during one of his nightmares would only make them worse.

 

PAPYRUS

GO ON, BROTHER.

SANS

the nightmares are… about a human child. they… killed a lot of monsters… they even killed ya.

PAPYRUS

OH… SANS… BUT… THEY ARE JUST DREAMS-...

SANS

no, paps… they weren’t just dreams… i wish they were… they really happened… you don’t know because, well… when time reset, you forgot. i mean… i did too, technically, but i had a journal with me… so that it could jog my memory…

 

          Papyrus looked absolutely clueless and Sans gave a deep, long sigh.

 

SANS

ya see, paps, we’re on a string of time called a timeline. The kid had the ability to reset time back to the beginnin'. everyone would lose their memories because time reset. i was able to remember because i used my magic to prevent my journal from being affected. every time a new timeline started, i would write what i experienced in the journal. sometimes, the experiences were good. sometimes, the experiences were… brutal.

PAPYRUS

I SEE… SANS, THIS… THIS SOUNDS VERY… UNBELIEVABLE. HOWEVER, I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE VERY SERIOUS, SO I TRUST THAT YOU ARE TELLING ME THE TRUTH. AFTER ALL, YOU ARE MY BROTHER… PLUS, YOU ARE ALSO A SNEAKY SPACE-TIME PRANKSTER… SO PERHAPS IT’S NOT SO UNBELIEVABLE! BUT WHY TELL ME NOW? I’VE BEEN ASKING FOR AGES!

SANS

… i didn’t want to tell you because… well there was no real point to it. you’d just forget the conversation anyway. and if i ever did tell you, it’ll just make everything more difficult to deal with… so i just… let it happen. I let everythin' happen the way the kid wanted it.

PAPYRUS

I SEE… WHO WAS THIS HUMAN CHILD THAT DID THOSE… VERY BAD THINGS?

SANS

… it was frisk…

PAPYRUS

WH… WHAT? BUT… BUT FRISK IS SO KIND…

SANS

i… i-i know. but she still did those things…

PAPYRUS

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A REASON!

SANS

whatever it was, it still resulted in everyone getting killed…

PAPYRUS

THAT’S TRUE, BUT… STILL… I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT FRISK DID THIS WITHOUT A GOOD REASON. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT SHE IS A BAD PERSON… AFTER ALL, SHE’S BEING SO GOOD _NOW_. SHE IS HELPING MONSTERKIND, SHE IS MAKING EVEN MORE FRIENDS AT SCHOOL…  SHE’S BEING A VERY GOOD PERSON. 

SANS

bro…

PAPYRUS

WE MUST SPEAK WITH HER!

SANS

i don’t think that’s a good idea to do it all of a sudden.

PAPYRUS

IF WE DON’T DO IT SOON, IT’LL NEVER GET DONE… BESIDES, IF I LEAVE IT UP TO YOU, IT WILL _DEFINITELY_ NOT GET DONE.

SANS

heh… you’re right.

PAPYRUS

OF COURSE I AM! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THE PERFECT PERSON TO HELP YOU SOLVE THIS PUZZLING SITUATION!

 

          Sans chuckled and shook his head, but the gesture was towards himself. Of course Papyrus accepted his explanation. Of course he believed him. Sans couldn’t believe he didn’t trust Papyrus with this information sooner. Though, of course, he was still worried about getting him involved. However, if Genie was going to get involved, then it wouldn’t make sense for Sans to stop Papyrus from participating as well.

 

SANS

genie will be helping us, too… i… already told her… sorry.

PAPYRUS

HMM… I WOULD BE A LITTLE OFFENDED THAT YOU TOLD HER BEFORE YOU TOLD ME, BUT BECAUSE YOU TWO HAVE GOTTEN SO CLOSE, I DON’T MIND!

SANS

paps, don’t start again.

PAPYRUS

AM I WRONG?

SANS

i mean…

PAPYRUS

EXACTLY. SANS, YOU ARE THE BROTHER OF THE MASTER OF THE ARTS OF DATING! YOU CAN’T HIDE YOUR TRUE, UNDENIABLE FEELINGS OF PASSION FROM ME!

SANS

oh… oh my god, bro… bro, it’s not _that_ deep.

PAPYRUS

… SANS…

 

          Sans could feel himself shrinking into the fluffy towel that was hanging on his head, like a hood. He was grinning nervously as his eyes continuously glanced between the exit door of the cabin and his brother as it inched closer and closer to ground. Papyrus inched closer to him as he leaned over.

 

PAPYRUS

YOU ARE HOPELESSLY INFATUATED, AND THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN HIDE IT ANY LONGER.

 

          The sigh of relief escaped Sans so quickly when their cabin stopped at the bottom of the wheel. Sans exited the cabin in a hurry, eager to leave the conversation with his brother. Papyrus was laughing triumphantly. He was proud to get that sort of reaction from his brother. Usually it was Sans that would poke his buttons, so to do the same back felt good. They walked up to Genie, who was patiently waiting for them.

 

GENIE

Good talk?

PAPYRUS

VERY GOOD! THANK YOU, GENIE.

GENIE

No problem! Oh, and I don’t know what’s happening right now, but I was told by this kid that there was an evacuation happening. Everyone is gathering at the right-end of the fair, towards the ocean. The pier ends there.

SANS

wouldn’t an evacuation mean that we should be exitin' the fair entirely?

GENIE

I'm not sure... That side of the fair is usually pretty empty, so maybe they’re gathering people there temporarily until whatever is happening is taken care of.

PAPYRUS

YES… I’M NOTICING THAT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS LEFT…

GENIE

Then let’s get to that area so the cops can do their work.

 

          The two skeleton brothers walked on either side of Genie, leading her to the end of the fairgrounds of the pier. Even though she had her cane, it wasn't like she knew which direction she was going. It was completely silent, aside from the ocean waves that gently slapped against the wooden columns that held the pier up and the soft thumping as the three of them walked across the wooden planks.

 

GENIE

There’s no one here?

SANS

Nope. I knew whatever that kid said didn’t make sense…

PAPYRUS

MAYBE IT WAS A HARMLESS MISUNDERSTANDING! OH! GENIE, WAS THE CHILD THAT TALKED TO YOU A LITTLE BOY?

 

          Genie looked towards Papyrus, who was looking at a little boy that was standing many feet away from them.

 

GENIE

Well, they did sound like a boy, so… probably? Why?

 

          Sans turned to look at the boy as well, and his strained grin fell immediately into a neutral expression as his eyelights faded away. The little boy wasn’t what caused the reaction, it was the red knife in the child’s hand. 

 

CHARA

Greetings.

 

          Genie turned around to face the voice.

 

GENIE

Oh, it’s you! Is this some kind of prank? Where is everyone? We need to evacuate, it might be for a dangerous reason.

CHARA

It is for a dangerous reason. I actually wanted to talk to you about it specifically, but… you just _had_ to bring _these two_ with you. That’s my fault, though… I should’ve known better.

 

          Sans was tense, his hands were stuffed in the pockets of his swim trunks and were shaking. The muffled sound of rattling bones caught Genie’s attention, and she looked towards the sound with concern. 

 

PAPYRUS

WELL, MAYBE ALL OF US CAN HELP YOU!

CHARA

You know what? I think you can, now that I think about it… You two skeleton brothers can get out of my way… It’s not YOU I’m after.

 

          Several red knives formed between her fingers and she threw them . Sans and Papyrus both summoned forth their bone constructs to block not just themselves but Genie as well. Once Genie heard and felt the static of magic around her, her mind began to panic. With one look, Sans knew exactly what she was afraid of.

 

SANS

bro, we need to get genie out of here, NOW.

 

          Chara scowled, reminding herself of Sans ability to shortcut. That was going to be a problem, but she knew he couldn’t do it if he was distracted. She lunged at Genie, another knife held at the ready. San quickly used his blue magic to throw Chara back, and Papyrus put a protective wall of bones around Genie. Chara grinned.

 

PAPYRUS

NO! PLEASE… DON’T TRY TO KILL US! WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS! MAYBE WE CAN HELP YOU WITH WHATEVER IS BOTHERING YOU!

CHARA

Oh, don’t start with me about  _that_ again.

 

          Sans went to grab Genie’s arm through the cage of bones but a red knife shot up between them, causing Sans to reflexively pull back to avoid getting hit. He glared his empty sockets at Chara as her grin became wicked, and full of malicious intent. Papyrus gasped as Chara slammed her foot onto the ground and large, red knives burst out of the floor towards them. The cage of bones faded and Papyrus grabbed Genie, then Sans, and jumped back with them. He was able to jump far enough away that they were against the railings that lined the edge of the pier. The railings overlooked the ocean. Sans, seeing the fast approaching attack from Chara, finally forced himself to summon one of his blasters. Papyrus widened his sockets at the sight of the weapon. He had only ever seen it once when they were children when Sans summoned it accidentally. He never did it since (as far as Papyrus knew). Sans always said it was dangerous.

 

SANS

genie… cover your ears.

 

          As soon as she did so, Sans snapped his fingers and the large, dog-shaped skull released the magic building up inside it. The magic beam blasted away the incoming knives, stopping them before they could reach the three of them. The sound of the blast was like the roar of some kind of feral animal. It frightened Genie, but since she knew it was coming from Sans, she didn’t feel threatened. Papyrus held her comfortingly until the blast was over.

 

PAPYRUS

BROTHER! THAT WEAPON IS DANGEROUS! PLEASE BE CAREFUL!

SANS

i know. i’ll be careful.

 

 

 

**(A/N: Warning: Mentions/Descriptions of blood, gore, and vomit below. There are breaks between the warnings, so be careful not to skip those as you scroll down!)**

 

 

 

          Papyrus inflicted blue magic upon Chara’s possessed orange soul, and she fell to her knees as gravity increased on her. She growled under her breath as she stood back up, glaring at the skeleton brothers. Papyrus lunged at her, throwing white and light blue bone constructs at her. Sans quickly followed, shortcutting behind Chara to let out another round from his blaster. Chara jumped high into the air, dodging their attacks.

          Genie heard the struggle as the brothers tried to fight the child off. She gripped the railing behind her, but the act failed to comfort her. She didn’t know why it would, but she was desperate for any kind of contact. She couldn’t see what was going on, and she was terrified. She couldn’t run, because she didn’t know where she to run to. If she tried to defend herself, she’d trigger a magic attack. If she got too desperate and panicked, she’d trigger a magic attack. These are one of many times that she cursed her blindness and her condition. 

          Chara was thrown into one of the carnival tents by Sans’ blue magic. She winced in pain when she stood up. It was a dart-throwing tent and a few darts got stuck in the back of her neck since she landed in a box of them. In full-view of the skeleton brothers, she grabbed the darts and ripped them out of her neck. It hurt, but Chara didn’t mind the pain and she simply smiled at them. Papyrus cringed at the sight and Chara could see a flash of familiarity pass over Sans’ face. Chara giggled darkly.

 

CHARA

What?

 

          Sans didn’t respond, and she didn’t expect him to. When it came to fighting, Chara learned that Sans preferred to ignore her taunting. However, there was a tiny bit of her that hoped that since this experience was new, he may change things up a bit. She looked at the darts and grinned as a mischievous little idea popped into her mind. She glanced over at Papyrus when he started speaking.

 

PAPYRUS

HEY, COME ON… LET’S CALM DOWN! PLEASE STOP WITH THE FIGHTING! LET’S JUST-...!

 

          Chara didn’t even wait for him to finish before throwing a dart at Papyrus. It cut through the air so quickly that he didn’t have time to shield his eye socket before the dart stabbed inside. 

 

CHARA

A perfect _bullseye_! Wouldn’t you agree, Papyrus?

 

          Chara frowned when she passed a Check over him as he howled with pain. She was hoping it would dust him, but it only took a smaller amount of his HP than she was expecting. It wasn’t the perfect bullseye she wanted, but she shrugged off her disappointment. Sans leapt to his brother’s aid immediately and carefully removed the dart. Papyrus, as a skeleton, didn’t have an eye to lose so he could still see perfectly fine. The stab from the dart still hurt, though. Sans glared at Chara with that flickering yellow and light blue left eye of his. It crackled furiously with enraged magic. Hearing Papyrus’ pain, Genie yelled out to them.

 

GENIE

PAPYRUS! Are you okay!?

 

          Chara looked over and realized that Genie was alone, and decided to take her opportunity. She threw a few more darts as she ran towards the two brothers. Papyrus was still reeling from the previous dart attack, and so Sans erected a wall of bones to protect himself and his brother. The wall quickly disappeared once all the darts hit, but Sans noticed that Chara was out of his line of sight. Footsteps behind him grabbed his attention and he quickly turned around, but he was too late. Chara was right in front of Genie. Genie screamed when Chara rammed a knife into her stomach with such force that Genie’s back hit the railing. Genie could feel a sharp, stinging pain go up her spine. She went to scream in pain again, but lost her voice as the air was knocked right out of her. She felt the wood of the railing break away from her, and she fell back. Sans immediately leapt to his feet and used his blue magic to throw Chara to the side. Papyrus followed suit and immediately ran towards Genie, watching as he lost sight of her while she fell off the pier. He seemed to be preoccupied when he reached the edge, and Sans determined that he caught Genie. He could hear her struggling, but since Papyrus was there, Sans could afford to turn his attention back to Chara.

 

 

 

 

**(A/N: Small break between warnings. Warnings will come up again soon!)**

 

 

 

          He stood over Chara, his hands were in tight, shaking fists. The blaster above him evoked the same emotion as it let out a dark, low growl. Before Chara could stop him, Sans pinned her to the ground with his hands. His left eye was wildly crackling with yellow and light blue magic, and his gritted teeth told Chara that he was absolutely _livid._ The blaster was charging itself with Sans’ magic, ready to fire. He spoke with a voice that was the empty, deep voice that he would use to intimidate her and Frisk. Chara, however, wasn’t intimidated. She was, in fact, enjoying herself immensely.

 

SANS

**I   h a t e   g e n o c i d a l   c h i l d r e n .**

 

          Chara grinned and began laughing as she could feel her possessed soul fill itself with excitement. Sans was about to release the blaster before Frisk’s voice made him pause.

 

FRISK

SANS, WAIT, DON’T!

 

          Sans’ focus momentarily shifted to Frisk, and Chara took the opportunity to kick the back of Sans' knee. Sans grunted in pain when his leg gave away and he hit the floorboards, but it wasn’t hard enough to inflict damage on his HP. Sans quickly got to his feet and saw Frisk, Undyne, and a couple of police officers with their guns drawn. Chara looked at Frisk, and she was excited to see her at first. That feeling faded, however, when Frisk shot her an angry look. Chara frowned as she stood up. 

 

SANS

kid, what are ya doin' here?! Get back to tori!

FRISK

No, this is MY problem!

SANS

it ain’t just YOUR problem if it’s affectin' everyone else now! does it have to do with what happened in the hall?!

UNDYNE

NGAAAH! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO TALKING ABOUT!?

ARCHER

ALRIGHT! That’s **ENOUGH**! NOBODY MOVE.

 

          The click of a glock 22 pistol being loaded caught everyone’s attention. Archer had his gun pointed at Chara, his eyes filled with pure rage and furious, blue magic. He controlled himself, however. Undyne was impressed with the intimidating command of Archers voice and the restraint and control over himself. She scanned her eyes over the damage before they landed on Papyrus. A sticky rope of purple magic was gathering behind him as he seemed to be pulling something up. Frisk let out a horrified gasp when she saw what it was.

 

 

 

**(A/N: Warning: Mentions/Descriptions of blood, gore, and vomit below.)**

 

 

 

          Papyrus pulled up Genie back onto the pier. In a desperate act to save herself, she conjured up a thick, sticky string of magic that was thrown into the air. She was hoping it would catch onto  _something_ but, luckily, Papyrus was able to grab it. Once Genie was pulled onto the pier, the entire group saw the condition she was in. Her sockets were filled with glowing, purple magic. It was pouring out of her eyes like thick tears. Even her nose and mouth had her magic dripping from them. She looked like as if she was in absolute pain and agony, and it was all because she summoned one simple magical construct... a sticky string. She was slightly laying on her stomach, writhing in agony as she tried to find the strength to get on her hands and knees in order to prevent the knife from further sinking into her flesh. She clawed at the floorboards so hard and deep in desperation that they splintered and frayed under her fingernails as she tried desperately to distract herself from the pain in her soul. Papyrus helped her onto her hands and knees as one of the other officers bolted to Genie in urgency. Chara tried to stop him, but was violently slammed into the ground by Sans’ blue magic. The ready-to-fire blaster was still aimed at her. Sans spoke darkly.

 

SANS

**D o n ‘ t   m o v e.**

 

          Chara was surprised at the force being exerted on her body. She was never pinned down to the ground this aggressively before. She couldn’t say she was scared though, because her possessed soul was pumping with even more excitement at this new discovery about the strength of Sans’ magic. To her, this game was getting even better and better every time.  

          Harsh coughing and the sound of something splattering to the ground grabbed everyone’s attention. Chara burst out laughing at the source of the noise. Frisk cupped her hands over her mouth in horror as Sans’ left eye flickered out, though his magic did not dissipate. Undyne felt her soul drop to her stomach. Archer and the other officers could feel their anger and tension leave them as quickly as worry and fear entered. Papyrus was looking at Genie helplessly, since he wasn’t sure what was going on and didn’t know what to do. Genie was on her hands and knees, having just vomited a large amount of purple magic and some blood. A red knife was still sticking out of her stomach, which had sunk deeper into her flesh due to her laying on her stomach just a few moments ago, and she had her hand over the wound with the knife in between her blood-and-magic-covered fingers. Despite the hyperventilating and the urge to vomit out more excess magic, Genie managed to scream out two words.

 

GENIE

**N-NO PILLS!**

 

          Sans’ mind quickly flashed back to one of their many conversations they had in the Hall.

 

_SANS_

_so, what happens if ya don’t take those pills?_

_GENIE_

_Well, a magic attack would feel like my entire soul is being crushed into little pieces. I would start violently coughing up blood and magic, and then I’ll just start vomiting out tons of it. My eyes would be full of purple magic, which would be normal except it would be so much that it just leaks out and runs down my face. That happens with my nose too. But that would happen whether I took my medication or not. The difference is that the medication would allow my soul to not… die as quickly. With medication, my soul could be kept alive for about an hour. Without it… I’d die in..._

 

          Sans mumbled, finishing Genie’s sentence. A sense of urgency hit him like a train, and something else he wasn’t prepared to acknowledge yet.

 

 

 

**(A/N: Small break between warnings. Warnings will come up again soon!)**

 

 

 

 

          Sans gestured for Archer and Undyne to come to him, and they hurriedly ran over to him. 

 

SANS

… 30 minutes.

UNDYNE

What?

SANS

Genie's got 30 minutes.

UNDYNE

Until what!?

ARCHER

Until the magic attack kills her.

 

          Archer grabbed his transceiver and spoke into it as he glared at Chara. He was familiar with Hyper-MO enough to know that her not taking her pills meant that she was going to die very soon. There was also no mistaking what a magic attack was when one would witness it. He ran to Genie as he spoke into the radio.

ARCHER

10-52, we’ve got an adult female experiencing a Hyper-MO attack. She didn’t take her pills. She has 30 minutes until the attack becomes fatal.

???

Copy. What’s your 10-20?

 

          (A/N: 10-52 means, "Ambulance needed." 10-20 means, "Location.")

 

ARCHER

Good Times Carnival, we’re at the left side of the carnival, where the part of the carnival pier overlooks the ocean. We will transport the subject to the entrance for easier access.

???

Copy that.

 

 

 

**(A/N: Warning: Mentions/Descriptions of blood, gore, and vomit below.)**

 

 

 

          Archer put his transceiver away and unloaded his pistol as he knelt down and secured it on his belt. He picked Genie up carefully, continuously asking if he was hurting her and apologizing if he did so. He quickly hurried towards the entrance, ignoring the next spill of magic-and-blood vomit Genie's soul forced out of her. Papyrus went to follow, but the other officer that was with him stopped him from walking any further.  His nametag read, “Henry.”

 

 

 

**(A/N: No more warnings past this point. You're free to read!)**

 

 

 

HENRY

The name’s Henry. Sorry, but we’re going to need you to stay here for questioning. Don’t worry, your friend will be just fine, and once we get you and your brother's statements we’ll let you go.

 

          Another officer grabbed Chara and put her in handcuffs. Her name tag read, “Ariana.” She looked at Sans.

 

ARIANA

You can let go of him now. These are special handcuffs that drain a human soul of its magic for a couple hours. He won’t be using magic any time soon.

 

          Sans released his magic and looked towards the entrance in worry. Ariana sighed.

 

ARIANA

She’ll be fine. We just need you to answer our questions. She’ll be taken to Nattstad General Hospital in the city.

 

          Ariana and Henry took Sans and Papyrus to the side. Four other officers walked around to document all the evidence of the incident they could find. The magical constructs long disappeared, but the damage they caused was everywhere. Holes, gashes, and burn marks in the wooden planks were all that were left. Undyne and Frisk were answering their questions about monster magic and how it worked. Sans and Papyrus had a lot of explaining to do too. So did Chara, and the last officer was currently stuffing her into his police car. Sans glared out of the corner of his sockets at her, while Papyrus looked on in worry and pity.

 

HENRY

Listen up, you two.

 

          Sans and Papyrus looked at Henry.

 

HENRY

I’m gonna ask you some questions, and Ariana is gonna write down your answers. First, what happened?

 

          Sans and Papyrus went into a lengthy explanation of everything that happened. From the moment they met up with Genie after riding the Ferris wheel to the moment the officers, Undyne, and Frisk arrived.

 

HENRY

Alright… Did anyone else see what happened?

SANS

no.

PAPYRUS

NO ONE ELSE WHATSOEVER!

HENRY

Do you know why the incident occurred?

SANS

not sure, all we know is that kid wanted to kill genie.

PAPYRUS

YES! HE WANTED US OUT OF THE WAY SO HE COULD… SUCCEED.

HENRY

Do you know anyone else who can shed light on this situation?

SANS

no.

PAPYRUS

NONE AT ALL!

 

          Sans lied. He knew it had to do with Frisk. He could feel it in his soul that Frisk knew what was going on. Getting the human police involved, however, would just bring in too much attention to the problem. 

 

HENRY

Is there anything else you want to tell me that I haven’t asked you?

PAPYRUS

THANK YOU!

SANS

yeah, thanks… if you guys hadn’t come in, i don’t know what i… what would’ve happened.

 

          Henry smiled, sharing a look of understanding with Sans. He gently patted his shoulder.

 

HENRY

No problem.

 

          The officer that attempted to interrogate Chara came over to them, sighing. His nametag read, “Jordan.”

 

JORDAN

The kid ain’t talkin’. He jus' keeps gigglin’ to 'imself n’ makin’ snarky puns 'bout knives 'n vomit…

 

          Sans’ ever-present grin twitched in annoyance, but no one noticed.

 

HENRY

We’ll take him to the station to interrogate him further. We should send a letter to the Council of Magic, maybe they can give us a collar.

PAPYRUS

A COLLAR?

HENRY

Don’t worry about it... Papyrus, was it?

PAPYRUS

YES, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, IN FACT! MASCOT OF THE MONSTERS!

HENRY

Ha! Right. Anyway, don’t worry. The collar just takes away a human’s magical abilities. We have to get approved to get one sent to us.

 

          Sans pocketed that useful information for future use… if such a need would ever arise. There was also another mention of this, "Council of Magic." Sans' curiosity about the Council peaked once again.

 

PAPYRUS

I SEE! CAN IT BE USED ON GENIE SO THAT IT TAKES AWAY HER CONDITION?

HENRY

It HAS been used for that in the past, but… completely wiping out a human’s magical abilities might lower their determination as a side-effect, which can have… adverse effects on the human mind. It’s too risky. Who knows, maybe they’ll make a collar that’ll prevent that from happening! Only time will tell…

 

          More useful information for Sans. He decided that he was going to talk to Alphys about this, since perhaps she could be the one make a device like that. The sound of a pen on paper in the background stopped. 

 

ARIANA

Done! Alright, I think we should get going before that kid causes anymore trouble!

HENRY

Yeah, it’s getting late. You guys need to get home.

PAPYRUS

BUT WE NEED TO GO MAKE SURE GENIE IS OKAY WHILE SHE IS IN THE HOSPITAL!

ARIANA

Monsters aren’t allowed in the city yet. Perhaps you can talk to the mayor of Goudenbloem. That woman can definitely convince the city government to let you guys into the hospital at least!

SANS

Yeah, we’ll do that…

 

          Henry and Ariana, and the rest of the officers, left the scene. Undyne and Frisk walked with them to the entrance of the fair. Toriel gasped when she saw Frisk and ran over to her frantically. She gently hugged her and put her hands on her shoulders as she pulled away.

 

TORIEL

FRISK! Genie was… she got put into an ambulance! What happened?! Are you okay? What were you THINKING about running off like that?! I understand that you can hold your own very well, but you still had me so worried!

FRISK

I'm sorry, mother...

 

          Asgore and Alphys joined Toriel in worry.

 

ASGORE

Yes, are you all okay? What happened?!

ALPHYS

H-Henna and P-Pete went with Genie in the ambulance… D-Did you guys get into a fight or something!?

PAPYRUS

IT’S… IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw... well...
> 
> You didn't expect that only our protagonists get to have fun, right? I did say everybody, after all! Looks like Chara's taking her first steps in her plan to stir up enough trouble to try to force Frisk to reset! Things will only get messier from here, folks! And if you think this ended in failure for Chara, then think again! What could she possibly be up to?
> 
> Anyways, I haven't EVER written a fight before... so I hope it's at least okay for my first time?


	14. Chapter 13: Admission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fayre helps Frisk and her friends get into the city. In doing so, she shows them exactly how much power an adult human's soul can have. 
> 
> We also get to see Genie in recovery... and she's not looking her best, unfortunately. Magic attacks can take a lot out of their victims!

          It was the next morning, and Fayre woke up to her door bell being rung several times. She groaned in annoyance and sat up. She flung her bed sheets to the side, put on a white robe and some matching slippers to cover herself up, and marched to the front door. She really disliked being woken up in the morning by anything besides her alarm clock. She inwardly grumbled to herself.

 

_FAYRE_

_Whoever you are, I hope you have a good reason for-_

 

 

          She looked through the peephole and her thoughts were interrupted by who she saw.

 

FAYRE 

Asgore?

 

          Looking through the peephole of her door, she saw the unmistakable horns, blonde hair, and white fur of the King of Monsters. There was a decorative mirror hanging on a nearby wall and she looked at herself. She whined quietly with disappointment at how messy she looked. Quickly, she smoothed down her hair and straightened her robe. Fayre opened her door and smiled as nicely as she could despite the exhaustion. 

 

FAYRE 

Asgore! This is… unexpected! You usually call…

ASGORE 

Yes, I know, it’s just… something terrible has happened.

 

          Fayre gave him a look of concern and scanned her eyes over him. He looked absolutely wracked with worry, and his outfit clearly showed that. He hadn't even changed his clothes from yesterday. She assumed that he hadn't slept at all.

 

FAYRE 

Are you hurt? Are you okay?

ASGORE 

No, no… I'm not hurt. Genie had a magic attack last night.

 

          Fayre gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Magic attacks were serious, and could be fatal. They were infamous.

 

FAYRE 

I-Is she-…?!

ASGORE 

I don’t know… Henna and Pete went to the hospital but haven’t returned any of our calls. We must get there at once. The problem is that the hospital is in the city, and we aren’t exactly allowed there yet.

 

          Fayre's look of shock turned into a look of determination. It was a neutral, hard look. It was similar to Frisk’s usual expression, except there was something else. Asgore could see a faint flicker of pure, yellow magic in her irises. It looked like a small flame had ignited itself but quickly faded out. A spark of justice.

 

FAYRE 

Tell everyone to get themselves ready and to meet me at the entrance of the village. We’re getting you all into the damn hospital whether the Council likes it or not.

ASGORE 

Now, now we don’t want to increase tensions.

FAYRE 

Asgore...

 

          Fayre sighed.

 

FAYRE 

Alright, fine. However, if they refuse to listen to reason then I’m not going to hold myself back. You all should have the right to visit a friend in the hospital. Now, go.

 

          Asgore smiled kindly and nodded.

 

ASGORE 

Thank you, Fayre.

 

          Once Asgore left, Fayre immediately started getting dressed. With a quick look in her bathroom mirror when she was finished, she quickly headed out to the village entrance. She strutted with controlled fury, making anyone who happened to be standing in her way duck to the side to let her through. Fayre was usually not an angry woman, but she was running out of patience with her government. She despised how difficult they’ve been making it for monsters. The city had countless opportunities, and she knew that they didn’t want the monsters to have access to them.They hid their true intentions behind their so-called, "fear."

          As expected, Asgore, Toriel, Flowey, Frisk, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys were patiently waiting for her. Fayre, who had been on the phone while she walked, put her phone away and placed her hands on her hips. A small coach bus pulled up in front of them.

 

FAYRE 

I use this bus to travel into the city. It’ll fit all of us, and you all can stay inside until Frisk and I try to convince the city officials to let you all into the city so that you can visit Genie in the hospital.

TORIEL 

Thank you!

FAYRE 

You’re very welcome, Miss Toriel!

 

          The group climbed into the bus. It was very comfortable, and it was also air-conditioned. The bus started up, and they were on their way. The ride to the city was going smoothly. Alphys was eagerly playing with the buttons above her and on her armrest. Some turned on reading lights while others controlled the air vents. Undyne grabbed her wrist to stop her, chuckling. Alphys blushed in embarrassment.

 

ALPHYS 

Oops! Hehe, got a little too carried awa-...!

 

          Alphys got interrupted by her phone's ringtone and she scrambled for it. She checked the collar ID which read, “Ichigo.” It was Pete. She answered the phone.

 

ALPHYS 

P-Pete!!!

 

          All attention was turned to Alphys immediately. Alphys put the phone on speaker.

 

ALPHYS 

Y-You’re on speaker! I-Is everything o-okay?! H-How’s Genie?

PETE 

Hey, guys! Alright, so this is what happened. When we got to the hospital, they immediately sped her off to get her wound treated and to calm her magic attack. They had to conduct surgery since the knife got so deep. The surgery went fine, though! She’s got stitches now. While doctors were dealing with the wound, she was given a ton of magic suppressants. Her magic attack went away before it got into the, “fatal stages,” of the attack. They said the amounts of magic that her soul was letting out wasn’t enough to cause severe internal bleeding. The bleeding it did cause has stopped on its own and those minor injuries are healing since they gave her some doses of healing magic. So, she’s sleeping the whole ordeal off right now. She’s fine. There’s one problem, though. The police keep coming every so often to check if she woke up. I really don’t want her to wake up to police asking her a bunch of questions. She really needs to rest… she’s been through enough…

ALPHYS 

I-I don’t know how we’ll get into the hospital b-but we’ll be there soon.

PETE 

Okay… Sans, Papyrus! You guys okay too?

PAPYRUS 

MY BROTHER AND I ARE OKAY! IF ONLY WE WERE ABLE TO PROTECT GENIE A LITTLE BETTER…

PETE 

You guys did your best! Don’t worry… Genie said she really wants to see you all… To be honest, the only person I’m REALLY worried about at the moment is Henna…

UNDYNE 

Huh? What’s wrong with her?

PETE 

She’s kind of… miffed about Genie keeping her Hyper-MO a secret from her.

TORIEL 

Oh… I’m sure Genie has a good reason…

 

          Undyne glanced over at Sans for a moment. He was not in the conversation at all. He was listening, but Undyne could tell he was making an effort not to get involved. She knew why. It was obvious that Sans knew about Genie’s secret condition. When Genie screamed that she didn’t take her pills, Undyne had a feeling that it was directed towards Sans. He immediately responded, and was the one that knew she only had thirty minutes to live, so he had to have known. He also didn't speak when Papyrus was explaining to the rest of the group about what happened that night.  Undyne decided not to call him out on it for now… at least not directly. She turned her attention back to the conversation on the phone.

 

UNDYNE 

Yeah, everybody’s got their reasons for keeping secrets.

 

          That got his attention, and Undyne was rewarded with a piercing glare from Sans. She ignored him. 

 

PETE 

Yeah, but that’s not something to be secretive about… Ah… Genie’s nurse is here. I gotta go! See you guys soon.

 

          After the phone call with Pete, it wasn’t long until they arrived at the gates to the city.

 

FAYRE 

We’re here.

 

          Everyone took a moment to look out their windows. Right in front of them was the human city, Nattstad. The buildings were enormous. It looked like as if each skyscraper had their own little cities inside them. It was so lively and active. They wanted to take a closer look, but besides the fact that they were here for an entirely different reason, they were faced with a big problem. They were stopped at the entrance to the city, and the city police had the bus completely surrounded. Fayre stood up and gestured for Frisk to follow her. Asgore went to follow them, but Fayre stopped him.

 

FAYRE 

No, Asgore. This is a tense situation. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt. It’s best if you stay here where it’s safe… I don’t want you in any danger.

 

          Asgore could feel the skin under his fur heat up. Although the statements were completely harmless, to Asgore, they meant something entirely different. Asgore and Fayre were becoming very close. There was something between them, and Asgore could feel it. He was sure that Fayre could feel it too. He just wasn’t sure if it was the right time to dive into it. So, he shook off the fluffy feelings for now and simply smiled.

 

ASGORE 

Yes, as the King of Monsters, I can understand if I am a target… I will wait inside the bus. However, if they attack, I will have to come out to protect you-...

 

          Asgore spotted Frisks mischievous grin and immediately continued.

 

ASGORE 

-and Frisk.

 

          Now it was Fayre's turn to flush pink. She smiled and nodded.

 

FAYRE 

Of course, but there’s no need to worry. I can protect myself pretty well.

 

          Fayre put her hand to her chest and brought out her soul. It glowed with beautiful yellow, golden rays. She grabbed the cleavage part of the brilliant heart, like a handle, and the soul began to change structure. The soft, glossy soul hardened into a shiny, metallic sort of substance. Intricate designs were etched into it as well. At the point of the heart, was a small hole. Through it, Fayre was able to shoot her yellow magic.

          Alphys could barely contain her excitement.

 

ALPHYS 

Y-You turned your soul into a gun!

 

          Fayre smiled.

 

FAYRE 

Oh? You’re familiar with yellow magic?

ALPHYS 

Y-Yes!

FAYRE 

Interesting… we’ll have to talk about that another time, though.

 

          Fayre turned to Frisk and patted her shoulder.

 

FAYRE 

Come on, Frisk. We need to get this over with.

 

          Frisk and Fayre exited the bus, and they were met with a representative of the mayor of the city. Fayre scowled at him.

 

FAYRE 

_He_ sent you here to do his dirty work, Simon?

SIMON 

Unfortunately… for me, mostly. What are you doing, Fayre? Those monsters aren’t allowed in the city, and neither are the rest of the beasts from your little town.

 

          Frisk frowned, wishing that humanity could stop reminding her about her reasons for jumping into the Underground.

 

FRISK 

They aren’t beasts! They’re people, just like you! Besides, there’s a human in the hospital that wants to see me and my friends! She was the girl that was attacked at the carnival.

SIMON 

That doesn’t change the fact that they are not allowed in the city.

 

          Frisk inwardly groaned.

 

FRISK 

The only reason you, the mayor of Nattstad, and the Council are keeping monsters out of the city is because they’re different! They are living happily and peacefully in Goudenbloem! Didn’t you want evidence that humans and monsters could live together? Isn’t the FACT that humans and monsters living together peacefully evidence enough?

 

          Frisk spoke proudly, and most importantly, loudly. She wanted all the humans around to hear her. She was happy to see that she was getting some attention drawn to them. She wanted to let all the humans in the city know the truth. She had no doubt that they believed that monsters and humans could not live together at all, and that they were unaware about what was happening in Goudenbloem.

          Simon began to sweat nervously at the commotion beginning to form at the gates. The humans that gathered started whispering together in suspicion.

 

SIMON 

We just want to wait to be sure! They could be tricksters! They might.. They-...!

FAYRE 

Now you’re just pulling stuff out of your ass.

FRISK 

Exactly! These monsters are here to see an injured friend, and you’re gonna keep denying them that right!? 

 

         Simon glanced at the gates, which has now been approached by a larger crowd of humans. He quickly took out his phone, and Frisk and Fayre watched as he hurriedly made a phone call. He was whispering, but they could tell he was desperate to stop the situation from escalating. Fayre rolled her eyes and stomped over to him. She snatched the phone away from him, and when he tried to take it back from her, she pushed the point of her soul-gun in his face. With just a look, she silently dared him to challenge her. He tried to glare back to intimidate her, but failed miserably. Fayre glanced at the caller ID on the phone, scoffed, and gestured for Frisk to take it. Frisk took the phone and gasped when she saw the mayor of Nattstad’s name. She put the phone to her ear and looked up at Fayre. Fayre nodded in encouragement and Frisk gulped.

          Frisk had never directly spoken with the mayor of Nattstad before. All she knew was his name, “Doyle,” and that he despised monsters. Before Frisk fell down to the Underground, she would often hear Doyle on TV talk about monsters in the most vilifying way he could. Frisk always thought it was depressing, and would pity the monsters should they ever escape. So far, it hasn’t been that bad, but it hasn’t been too easy either. 

          Frisk did her best to speak with determined confidence.

 

FRISK 

This is Frisk, the ambassador of monsterkind. My friends and I want access to the city so that we can visit the girl who was attacked at the carnival on the pier yesterday.

DOYLE 

Who do you think you are that you can stroll up to the entrance of Nattstad and expect us to just ignore the rules we put in place and let you in?

FRISK 

I understand, but this is important. Besides, there are humans from the city that have started to gather at the entrance. They’re upset at the situation… but they aren’t upset at _us_. Please, even if it’s just to the hospital… just let us through. It would be better for your image if you do.

DOYLE 

You are not one of my advisers, so you don’t get to decide what’s good for m-...!

FRISK 

Am I wrong?

 

          Doyle went quiet, and Frisk bit her lip nervously. After some silence, he finally spoke again.

 

DOYLE 

Fine. Just to the hospital. The city police will escort you and your friends there. As soon as they step one foot back outside the hospital, they will be sent home.

FRISK 

Thank you.

 

          Frisk handed back the phone to Fayre and she decided to be the one to bid Doyle farewell.

 

FAYRE 

Thank you for your cooperation, Doyle.

DOYLE 

Wait… Fayre, is that-...?

 

          Fayre didn’t bother to let him finish his sentence and hung up on him. After giving the phone a disgusted, hateful glare she handed it back to Simon. Frisk figured it was because of his behavior, but she could also see that her glare was personal. Something must have happened between them. However, she didn't have the time to ask her about it.

 

FRISK 

Let’s hurry and get on the bus.

 

          Fayre nodded and she helped Frisk into the bus. Just before Fayre could get in as well, Simon yelled at her.

 

SIMON 

YOU CAN’T BULLY US INTO SUBMISSION FOREVER. WE HAVE LAWS AND SOONER OR LATER YOU’LL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR GOING AGAINST THEM!

 

          Fayre turned around and without hesitation, lifted her arm in the air. She pointed her soul-gun to the sky. The irises of her eyes lit up with yellow magic, and Fayre's soul blasted out a large beam of furious yellow magic into the sky. It was nothing like the yellow magic that Alphys would inflict on Frisk’s soul. It was much more powerful. The sound it made was similar to that of Sans’ blasters, but it was more high-pitched and less animalistic. Once she was done letting her anger and frustration towards Simon, Doyle, and all the other humans that have been making this process harder than it needed to be out through her magic, the beam dissipated. Fayre said only two words before climbing back into the bus.

 

FAYRE 

Try me.

 

          As soon as the bus closed its doors behind Fayre the gates to the city opened. The group were driven into the city, leaving a stunned crowd and a legitimately frightened Simon behind. The police were following not too far behind and around them. Inside the bus, the reactions were a lot different. The monsters and Frisk were looking at Fayre in absolute awe. They all just witnessed the strength of an adult human’s magic. Toriel, with that look of awe combined with a hint of a familiar feeling of fear, spoke breathlessly.

 

TORIEL 

Did you just…

FAYRE 

Oh, I _did_ . I’m tired of something so simple becoming so difficult. All the humans in the towns in the valleys have been reacting pretty normally to all of you. I’d say they’ve been getting along with your race pretty well considering the circumstances. Yet, those idiots up there aren’t, “convinced.” I needed to let out my frustrations somehow, and I think I was doing pretty well up until _he_ tried to preach to ME about JUSTICE.

 

          Fayre huffed and sat down in one of the bus seats that were close to the isle. 

 

UNDYNE 

That… THAT WAS AWESOME!

 

         Fayre looked at Undyne, surprised at her outburst.

 

UNDYNE 

YOU THREW ALL THAT BACK IN HIS FACE! YOU WERE SO COOL! Man… I’VE GOTTA TELL HENNA ABOUT IT!

 

          Undyne eagerly tapped her thumbs on her phone, texting Henna excitingly about what happened. Papyrus nodded in agreement with Undyne.

 

PAPYRUS 

YES! IT WAS VERY COOL! AND FRISK DID A GREAT JOB! WE COULDN’T HEAR WHAT SHE SAID, BUT WE KNOW IT’S BECAUSE OF HER THAT WE’RE EVEN ALLOWED TO BE IN THE CITY…

 

          Papyrus trailed off and then let out a loud gasp of realization.

 

PAPYRUS 

THAT’S RIGHT!!! WE’RE IN THE CITY!!! SANS, LOOK!!!

 

          He looked outside, sockets practically glued to the window. Sans, who had been relatively quiet for the entirety of the trip, glanced out the window.

 

SANS 

nice. this pace is _city_ cool.

 

          Papyrus gasped in offense.

 

PAPYRUS 

HOW COULD YOU ALREADY RUIN IT?!

SANS 

sorry, i got _car_ -ried away.

PAPYRUS 

OKAY, OKAY.. THAT ONE WAS… CLEVER.

 

          Sans chuckled, but his chuckles didn’t last long. As soon as he spotted the hospital, he sat up straight. Outside, waiting for them, was Henna and Pete. The bus stopped and Fayre spoke up.

 

FAYRE 

I’m going back to Goudenbloem. I'm exhausted after that. Asgore, when you're all done here, just call me so that the bus can come back to pick you all up.

 

          Asgore nodded.

 

ASGORE 

Yes, of course.

 

          Fayre waved as the monsters and Frisk hurriedly exited the bus. The bus then drove back to Goudenbloem. Pete and Henna spent barely any time greeting them before leading them straight to the front desk. Once they each received paper name tag stickers, they headed straight to Genie’s room. The group went inside and the monsters and Frisk silently gasped at the sight of Genie.

          Genie was laying down in a hospital bed. The room was a private room, and it looked... depressing. The colors of the walls and floors were extremely dull, and even though the lights were on the room still seemed too dark. There was only one window and its curtains were closed. Genie didn't look that much better in comparison. She was hooked up to different machines. The machines monitored her physical and soul vitals. Although the wires going left and right were a sad sight, it was Genie herself that looked even sadder. She looked exhausted, and her hair was messy and unkempt from being in bed for so long. She also looked quite weak. The weakness and exhaustion was caused by the magic attack, which practically zapped most of her energy out of her body. The high dosage of magic depressants were also making it hard for her to gain her energy back. She could hear them come in, so she gave a small smile.

 

GENIE 

Oh… hey… sorry… Not exactly the... best sight of me... huh…?

 

Just talking was a chore, and it sounded like it. Her voice was strained, and it sounded like she was whispering. It was loud enough for others to hear her, though. She heard quick footsteps to the side of her bed and she smiled, recognizing the sound of bones clacking together.

 

GENIE 

Hey, Sans… Hey, Papyrus...

 

          Papyrus kept his voice low.

 

PAPYRUS 

GENIE… ARE YOU FEELING OKAY?

GENIE 

Yeah...

SANS 

… wish we could’ve been more careful…

GENIE 

It’s not your fault, so… don’t even try to... take any of the blame for... what happened, Sans. 

SANS 

heh… ya know I can’t help it…

 

          Genie frowned a bit, and Frisk raised her brow in interest. Just what they discussed in private Frisk didn't know, but it seemed personal.

 

GENIE 

Yeah, well... You shouldn’t blame yourself... and neither should you... Papyrus… If it weren’t for you both... I would’ve died yesterday.

 

         A frustrated huff was heard, and Henna was out the door. Undyne looked after her worriedly and looked at Pete. He sighed and mumbled.

 

PETE 

Like I said, she’s miffed…

 

          Pete went after her.

 

UNDYNE 

Uhh…

 

          Genie smiled sadly.

 

GENIE 

She’s angry with me… but it’s understandable… It’s best to wait until... she calms down… She’s only avoiding me to… stop herself from saying something… she’ll… regret.

UNDYNE 

… You should really explain yourself to us too, you know. Why did you keep this a secret?

GENIE 

I didn’t want people to... worry about me… to… to constantly hover over me…

UNDYNE 

But that’s what friends do, Genie!

GENIE 

I-I know… but… I don’t… I don’t want her... or other people... to think I’m a bother… or… that I’m helpless…

TORIEL 

Oh, Genie… you’re not a bother, and you are the exact opposite of helpless!

 

          Toriel, followed by the rest of the group, joined Papyrus and Sans at Genie’s bedside. Frisk set Flowey’s pot down on the bed. Flowey had plenty of time to think to himself. Throughout the bus ride, the confrontation with the humans at the entrance, the drive through the city, and the hurry to Genie’s room, Flowey had been completely silent. He knew what happened. He knew it was partly his fault. For some reason, there was feeling inside where his soul would be. Was it guilt or anticipation for the next plan of attack? He wasn’t sure. Usually, it was just the anticipation, but Flowey was feeling something else that changed the emotion he usually felt. It had to be guilt. It had to be. He listened as Toriel consoled Genie.

 

TORIEL 

You’re a young, blind woman who’s been able to live a relatively independent life despite her condition and is surrounded by friends who care about you. You, without question, let monsters into your home for a night and even helped them find a safe place on the mountain to stay… Helpless and a bother? You’re being silly, Genie.

 

          Genie’s cheeks flushed red and smiled a bit.

 

ALPHYS 

Y-Yeah, I… I know what that’s like, f-feeling like that… b-but my friends and my… m-my… my girlfriend… always support me, n-no matter what!

 

         Undyne grinned and kissed Alphys’ cheeks. Alphys covered her face in embarrassment as a red blush spread across it. Genie nodded.

 

GENIE

Yeah… you’re right…

UNDYNE

OF COURSE WE'RE RIGHT!!! But, I have to ask, if you were so afraid to tell everyone, then why did you only tell Sans?

 

          Sans glanced at everyone, who was now staring at him with increased interest. He huffed in annoyance

 

SANS

keepin’ a secret like that for so long… ya gotta vent about it some time. besides, someone’s gotta know in case somethin’ happens.

UNDYNE

Okay, I get that, but Genie… why not tell Henna? Aren’t you guys supposed to be close?

GENIE

We ARE close.

UNDYNE

Then why not tell _her_?

GENIE

Because she’s already got so much to worry about, that’s why! … She ALREADY helps me with my blindness... This… This is too much for her.

UNDYNE

Genie, you’ve got it all wrong! She NEEDS to know about this BECAUSE she helps you so much. You gotta trust her more… that’s probably why she’s so angry!

GENIE

I... know that now… But, she’s too angry for me to talk to her.

 

          Undyne puffed up her chest.

 

UNDYNE

I’ll talk to her!

GENIE

You don’t need to get that involved...

UNDYNE

Too late for that! I’m already out the door!!! I’m gonna make sure that you two MAKE UP! NGAAH!

 

          Indeed, Undyne was already out the door. Alphys followed closely behind, deciding she should probably keep an eye on her as Undyne marched through the halls of the hospital. There were a lot of humans, so anything can happen if they’re not careful. Undyne hurried down the halls with purpose. She knew exactly where to go. She didn’t know Henna long, but she knew that she always turned to desserts whenever she was stressed or angry. The most Undyne saw anger or stress from Henna was when they were watching anime and something happened that Henna disliked. When that would happen, Undyne noticed that Henna would eat more sweets.

          Undyne didn’t bother asking for directions as to where she could find desserts. She was able to find the food court following the signs that would show up occasionally on the walls. Once she arrived at the food court, she immediately spotted Henna who was nursing a sad-looking milkshake. Hospital food, it seemed to Undyne, wasn’t exactly appealing to the eye. It was enough for Henna, though. Pete was sitting beside her, rubbing circles into her back soothingly. Undyne walked over to her and sat in front of her while Alphys sat in front of Pete.

 

UNDYNE

Hey… Henna, how are ya feeling?

HENNA

Ok, I guess… Just… frustrated… disappointed… hurt…

ALPHYS

Th-That doesn’t sound like you’re, “ok.”

HENNA

Guess not… It’s just that… I thought I _knew_ Genie. I was always so confident that she trusted me with everything. I was wrong… I know that this doesn’t change the fact that she cares about me. She did this BECAUSE she cared so much about me. She didn’t want me to worry more than I already do. It’s just…

UNDYNE

Being lied to still sucks?

HENNA

Yeah.

UNDYNE

Well… when I found out Alphys lied to me about herself, I was shocked. I quickly realized, though, that… well.... It didn’t change anything! She did it because she thought lowly of herself, and tried to brighten up her image by saying all sorts of things! That’s when I realized she needed my help to feel better about herself, about who she truly is! Cute, smart, funny, and the best girlfriend I could ever ask for!

 

          Alphys’ whole head was a giant cherry by the end of Undyne’s little monologue. She offered a small smile to Henna.

 

ALPHYS

Genie’s reasons for keeping this secret from you won’t excuse her l-lies, but… maybe… knowing WHY will help you f-forgive her! Sh-She needs to learn that telling you about what's going on in her life w-won't ruin your friendship!

HENNA

Yeah… 

PETE

We should get back, babe… You gotta make up.

 

         Henna sighed and nodded. She knew she had the right to be upset, but she also knew it won't help the situation if she continued to ignore Genie. She couldn't even bring herself to hate her. It just simply wasn't in her soul, which was filled with kindness. 

         The four of them made their way back to Genie's room. Upon entering, they were met with laughter. Everyone, besides Flowey who was simply smirking in amusement, was laughing. Undyne raised a brow.

 

UNDYNE

What's so funny?

TORIEL

Sans and I! We're telling some good jokes. They were off the _scales_ . We were _reel-_ ly hoping you were gonna come back soon!

 

         Undyne groaned. Now she knew why everyone was in an uproar when they walked in. Toriel and Sans were telling _fish puns._

 

UNDYNE

Of course you were.

 

          Alphys giggled. Henna walked to the left side of Genie's bed.. She gently leaned over and grabbed her hand. Genie squeezed it gently, letting her know that she was listening.

 

HENNA

I'm disappointed… hurt… and upset at you.

GENIE

H-Henna-...

HENNA

But I don't hate you… or dislike you… I think I can speak for everyone that we don't hate you for keeping your Hyper-MO a secret. It was a mistake. You shouldn't hide that kind of thing, but we understand why you did. So, Genie…

 

          Henna placed her hand on Genie's cheek comfortingly.

 

HENNA

I forgive you. _We_ forgive you.

 

          Henna put her hand back onto Genie's hand. Genie smiled and teared up.

 

GENIE

Thank you... I'm so relieved…

 

          Henna hugged Genie and smiled, happy to put this behind them. She pulled away and was just about to change the subject before a pair of footsteps came through the doorway. It was an officer from the city. His uniform was similar to Archer’s, but it was navy blue and he was wearing a peaked cap.

 

UNDYNE

You could've _knocked_.

 

          The officer, whose name tag read, "Joel," rolled his eyes at Undyne. He shook off her comment, even though she was right. 

 

JOEL

I’m here to question, "Genie."  I can’t wait any longer. This is an urgent manner and I need to get her side of what happened last night. We also have some news regarding the young boy.

 

          Pete put a gentle hand on Genie’s shoulder.

 

PETE

… Can you handle talking about it?

 

          Genie sighed and nodded.

 

JOEL

Thank you… Please wait outside while I speak with her. I will let you all know if I need anyone else to come in.

 

          Reluctantly, everyone left Genie alone with the officer. Luckily, her room did have a viewing window from the hallway. Even though the blinds were up, they weren’t closed, so they could still partly see Genie and Joel inside. If the officer was from Goudenbloem, then they wouldn’t have been so nervous. However, since the incident happened within the city police’s jurisdiction, the case was handed to them instead. The group wasn’t sure of how to feel about anyone from Nattstad, since their opinions about monsters weren’t exactly that great in general. Sure, many of them seemed to support allowing the monsters to come into the hospital to visit Genie, but they suspected that it must have been from pity rather than a genuine change of heart.

 

NICK

Hello again!

 

          Papyrus heard Nick’s familiar voice and brightened immediately. He looked over at Nick and waved excitedly.

 

PAPYRUS

HELLO, NICK! HOW IS CLOVER?

NICK

She’s doing pretty good! I heard you guys were here to see somebody?

PAPYRUS

GENIE! SHE WAS ATTACKED YESTERDAY… RIGHT NOW, AN OFFICER IS ASKING HER QUESTIONS.

NICK

Oh, yeah, I heard about that! Pretty scary stuff… That human child was crazy, but I can’t help but feel bad for him, though…

 

          That statement got everyone’s attention, and they stared at Nick quizzically.

 

ALPHYS

W-What do you mean…?

UNDYNE

Yeah, why would you feel bad for someone like _that_?

 

          Nick raised his brows in surprise.

 

NICK

You don’t know?

SANS

…. know what?

TORIEL

Yes, we are quite confused as to what you’re talking about.

NICK

O-Oh… well… News came out just an hour ago that the child apparently… well…

ASGORE

Escaped???

NICK

You could say he did, in a way, but probably in the worst way possible. The kid was found dead in their cell, and… he did it to himself. When the officers came back to collect the body, it was gone. It’s all over the news.

 

          Everyone gasped in shock, and Toriel covered her mouth with her paw as she made a pained expression. Flowey was shocked as well, but was thinking something entirely different than the rest of them. Flowey was shocked because he didn’t know how Chara was going to continue her plan without a vessel. She couldn’t interact with the physical world without one. He thought hard to himself.

 

FLOWEY

_Why? Why didn’t you just escape again? You couldn’t have given up… that’s impossible for you… So what are you planning to do now, Chara?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Chara, what are you planning to do now?
> 
> Don't worry. We'll know in Chapter 14!
> 
> I have been making good pace on my writing... currently working on Chapter 17 and I'm almost done with it. How exciting!~ I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	15. Chapter 14: A Change of Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did Chara fail?
> 
> Or did she succeed?

         Genie answered the police officer’s questions, covering up her boredom with the most respectful, interested voice she could manage. She just wanted to get the interview over with. She was finally starting to cheer up and talking about her assault wasn’t helping her mood... and it was starting to drag it back down. She was starting to lose the few bits of interest in the interview she had until she heard one specific detail that the officer shared with her about the child who assaulted her. She almost didn't hear him, but such jarring news wasn't something she could just ignore.

 

GENIE

He’s dead?! How?!

JOEL

It was suicide… We don’t know how. He was alone in his cell and whatever tool he used to take his life wasn’t on his person...

 

          Genie collected her thoughts for a moment before speaking up again.

 

GENIE

He had a knife with him… he DID stab me, after all.

JOEL

Yes, we tried to look for it but we couldn’t find it.

GENIE

You can probably ask Papyrus and Sans if they saw what happened to it. They can  _ see _ , y’know?

 

          Joel mulled the thought over a bit before putting just a step out the door and calling Papyrus and Sans inside. Once they were inside and sitting on chairs that were on each side of Genie's bed, Joel questioned them.

 

JOEL

I want to know if you two clearly saw the weapon of choice the child had in their possession, and if you did, what did it look like and did you see where it went?

PAPYRUS

YES, WE SAW IT! IT WAS A RED KNIFE.

SANS

it had bright red designs on the blade, as if it was infused with red magic. the kid also used red knife constructs to attack us with. my guess is that the main knife he was holdin' must have either been dropped when i slammed him down, or maybe it's a construct that disappeared when he got distracted and stopped usin' it.

PAPYRUS

WOW... YOU ARE VERY OBSERVANT, SANS! I'M PROUD!

          Sans bit back a laugh. Of course he knew what the knife looked like up close... he had it slashed across his chest hundreds of times. He was about to thank his brother until Joel interrupted him.

 

JOEL

Red magic? That's not… the child had an orange soul… Orange souls don't contain red magic, so his constructs would’ve been orange.

SANS

well, that's what definitely what we saw.

JOEL

You must've saw  _ wrong _ , then.

 

          Genie furrowed her brows in a mixture of confusion and shock. Sans was about to object, and Papyrus was about to politely correct, but the officer finished writing down on his pad of paper and spoke before any of them could.

 

JOEL

I got everything I needed. Unfortunately since the child is dead, there's nothing more we can do. I wish you a speedy recovery, Genie.

GENIE

Th-Thank you, but-...?

 

          Joel swiftly left the room, cutting Genie off with the sound of the door closing. He left Papyrus insulted, Sans fuming, and Genie dumbfounded. The others waiting outside returned to Genie’s side after watching the officer make a swift exit. After Genie, Papyrus, and Sans were finished explaining what happened with the officer, Undyne roared in indignation. 

 

UNDYNE

WHAT?! That's so STUPID! HOW DARE HE-...!

ASGORE

Now, now… Let's not get too carried away…

UNDYNE

C'mon, Asgore! Aren't you angry too?! This is unfair! He can't treat them like that!!!

ASGORE

I agree, but let's move on from that for now. Besides, he is right that there is nothing we can do now. I suppose we won't ever know why that child attacked Genie.

 

          Flowey frowned and looked away. He glanced out the viewing window and felt a shiver go up his stem. Pressed against the wall of the hallway, opposite to the window, was a shadow. It was most definitely Chara. She pointed upwards, gesturing to the roof of the hospital. Chara vanished as Nick passed by in front of her. Flowey flinched in fear, almost tipping over, when Toriel tapped on his head gently. Flowey shouted at her before he could even think about what to say.

 

FLOWEY

 WHAT, MOM?!

 

          Toriel pulled away, gasping. She didn’t much care for his rude tone, since she was used to that by now, but because he called her, “mom.” Everyone in the room stared at him until Flowey realized what he said. His cheeks steadily got more and more multi-colored as Toriel’s mouth turned up into a giddy smile.

 

FLOWEY

… I…

 

          Toriel put a gentle hand on Flowey’s head. She wanted to leap for joy at this new progress, and she wanted to hug him close to her like she always would. It was hard to restrain herself since she knew that would ruin the moment. It was especially hard because, for a moment, Flowey's face resembled Asriel's when he shouted at her.

 

TORIEL

Now was that so hard, my child?

 

          Flowey pulled away from Toriel and looked away. She smiled and nodded, understanding that he didn’t want to acknowledge what he said any further. 

 

TORIEL

Well, anyways, what were you looking at?

FLOWEY

I, uh-...!

 

          Nick’s sudden arrival into the room saved Flowey from coming up with a lie, which worried him somehow. After speaking with the group when they were all out in the hallway, he quickly returned to his nursing duties. Now that he was done with some of them, he was scheduled to come and check on Genie’s recovery. The clipboard he was holding had several forms on it that he would use to write down whatever updates to Genie's health that he needed to report. He smiled patiently at the group, even though the bags under his eyes that formed after several overnight shifts made it obvious that he was exhausted.

 

NICK

Here we are... Now that the officer is finally out of the way, I can check up on how you’re all doing! Especially you, Genie. Do you mind if I pull out your soul?

GENIE

Not at all!

NICK

Great! Now, don’t move it around, alright?

 

          As soon as Genie nodded, Nick gently moved between the monsters and put a hand just above her chest. His irises and the palms of his hands glowed light blue as he carefully pulled out her soul.

 

NICK

It’s dimmer than normal, but that’s to be expected due to the magic suppressants… The size is also very full and healthy, which is a good sign. There aren’t any terribly large cracks so that magic attack wasn’t too destructive to cause any permanent damage to your soul. However, those fresh hairline fractures to the outer wall of the soul  _ will  _ add to the scars already on your soul from past magic attacks, but I don’t think they’ll be of much concern.. Cosmetically, I mean. 

 

          He held up a color card, which was the same color as a normal purple soul.

 

NICK

Your color is normal as well. 

 

          After placing back the color card, Nick’s irises glowed even brighter as he scanned his magic over Genie’s soul. The information he pulled from her soul was not visible to the rest of the party, and was only visible to Nick.

 

NICK

I can see that your attack is eight and your defense is nine. HP is at 16, Magic Levels are down to 6, which is normal since you are on magic suppressants, and your LoVe is at 1. Now I’ll just check your… y-your…

 

          Nick gaped at Genie’s soul for a bit before quickly holding up the color card again to verify that the color was indeed the same. It was. His look went from shock to immediate concern as he tore his eyes away to look at Genie. She seemed fine, to him. He looked back at her soul and surprise, coupled with even more confusion, spread across his face. Everyone else looked at Nick with concern and interest for what he had seen.

 

ASGORE

Are you alright? Did you see something wrong with her soul?

PAPYRUS

YES, YOU SEEM QUITE DISTRESSED ABOUT SOMETHING…

NICK

Sorry, I… I was reading her Soul Statement and I thought it said “she’s starting to feel apathetic.” Which is confusing, because that would completely contradict her soul’s trait of perseverance. That’s unheard of. Now it says “she’s starting to feel better.” 

TORIEL

Well, how _do_ you feel, Genie?

GENIE

Much better... I guess my soul was just trying to find a way to describe my feelings... I just got finished talking with that stupid officer, too... which was extremely frustrating... Sorry for the scare.

NICK

Right, well… I’m going to have to keep you overnight. Not just because of your injuries, but especially so that we can watch your soul and make sure it’s functioning properly. Can’t be too careful, you know?

 

         Genie sighed, knowing this would happen. Her soul always made things more difficult, which would result in longer hospital stays. Genie would even stay overnight when she would originally be scheduled for a simple check-up. She should have been used to news like this by now, but she felt so much more tired after hearing it.

 

GENIE

... I know...

NICK

I’m glad you understand… But who will be picking her up? She should be discharged at around four o’clock in the afternoon tomorrow!

HENNA

I'll be staying overnight, so Pete'll pick us up tomorrow.

GENIE

Are you sure you want to stay overnight, Henna...?

HENNA

Yep!

NICK

Alrighty, then. That’s it from me for now. Right now it’s around… hmm…

 

          Nick quickly glanced at his watch before nodding.

 

NICK

One o’clock in the afternoon… You all can stay here for as long as you need to for today. I wouldn’t leave the hospital right  _now_ for… err… politic’s sake. However, feel free to go to the food court and all that. 

TORIEL

Actually, Nick, I would like to speak with you about some things concerning our daughter, Frisk. 

NICK

Oh! No problem.

TORIEL

Thank you very much. Come along, Asgore.

 

          Asgore smiled and stood up.

 

ASGORE

Oh, yes, of course. What is it you need to ask him about, though?

TORIEL

I’m just curious about the content of human souls and anything about their function that would be abnormal! If anything happened to Frisk and her soul, it would be important for us to know about it.

ASGORE

That's a good idea, Tori!

NICK

Alright, let’s step out of the room for this, shall we?

ASGORE

Lead the way!

 

          Flowey, seeing this as an opportunity to get himself out of the room to go see Chara, tapped Toriel’s arm with a leaf.

 

FLOWEY

I’ll come with you, since, well… I’d like to see more of the hospital!

 

          Toriel gave him a suspicious look and raised her brow.

 

FLOWEY

I’m just curious,  _ mom _ !

 

          Toriel gave Flowey a small smile.

 

TORIEL

If you want to explore, you can explore with Frisk! Unfortunately this discussion will be between us grown ups, so I don’t want you to be alone in a place full of humans… after all, we don’t know if any of them hate us to the point that the hate could become dangerous for our safety.

 

         Flowey pouted, but did his absolute  _ best _ to not show the full extent of his frustration and disappointment. It seemed calling her, “mom,” wasn’t going to get  _ everything  _ he wanted… Such as running around the hospital  _ alone _ . He wasn't stupid. He knew that it wasn't just because the hospital was full of humans... it was because they insisted they always needed to keep an eye on him. He wasn't too insulted by that since they were right, but was more insulted by the fact that Toriel didn't think he wouldn't understand her actual reasons.

 

FLOWEY

Fine! Let’s go, Frisk!

FRISK

Okay, okay…

 

          Frisk couldn’t help but feel a bit of suspicion at Flowey’s sudden interest in the hospital. She picked up his pot, bid her farewell to the group with a gentle wave of her hand, and exited the room. Frisk walked with Flowey, telling him about anything she saw that she recognized.

 

FRISK

Most of the people that work here are nurses, doctors, or therapists. I don’t really know all the different types, but… there are a lot! 

FLOWEY

Cool…

 

          As Frisk expected, Flowey was immensely disinterested in anything she had to say or describe. She knew this wasn’t the real reason as to why he wanted to get out of the room. She could ask, but she knew he wouldn’t tell her… she tried anyway.

 

FRISK

So, why did you really want to get out of there?

FLOWEY

I told you! I’m curious about this place.

FRISK

You are the complete opposite of interested. I can tell. Don’t lie to me, Flowey!

FLOWEY

Oh, please, how am I lying? Sorry that my soulless being isn’t THRILLED at whatever is around me. At least I’m interested!

FRISK

Well, yeah, but you’re acting strange about it! You’re interested but you don't even-...!

 

         Frisk froze in her tracks as the sound of crushed dirt came from underneath her feet. She looked down and saw an empty flower pot with its bottom missing, and all the soil was on the floor. Frisk furrowed her brows in momentary confusion before realizing what had happened. She thought to herself.

 

FRISK

_ How long was he cutting himself out of his flower pot? _

 

          The answer was not too long. Flowey had been using his magic bullets to slowly carve away at the bottom of the pot ever since he saw Chara’s shadow. They were pretty durable, and so it didn’t take him long to break free from the pot after some continuous scraping and pressure. As soon as he was free, he ducked into the floor and left Frisk behind. While Frisk ran back to let Toriel know Flowey had escaped, Flowey popped up on the roof of the hospital. He looked around before setting his eyes on another little boy. The little boy was wearing a long, yellow robe with a green stripe going across his chest. It was exactly the same type of robe as the previous child’s, the one with the orange soul. Just like the little boy, he was dirty and his hair was messy. He had black, shoulder-length hair and sickly pale skin. His eyes were a dull blue. This particular boy, though, looked even more sickly and thin than the last one. Flowey tilted his head in curiosity.

 

FLOWEY

Chara? Is that you?

CHARA

Of course it is! I guess you can say I’ve had a change of “soul.”

FLOWEY

Eugh…

CHARA

Aw, c’mon Azzy…

FLOWEY

... So, you have a new kid already? Where are you finding them?

CHARA

Oh, they’re just lying around.

 

          Flowey frowned. Why bother asking Chara, of all people, questions and expect full answers? He shrugged and nodded.

 

FLOWEY

Alright. Well, what now? You didn’t exactly kill her.

CHARA

No, but I did hurt her quite significantly.

FLOWEY

Yeah, but… how is it going to hurt human-monster relations?

CHARA

Oh, Flowey, if you think that attack was going to be the final nail in the coffin for Frisk’s plan for monsters, you’re thinking far too small.

FLOWEY

What are you planning, then?

CHARA

Killing Genie wasn’t what I was going for, exactly. It would’ve been a great ending, for me, but it’s too soon. Frisk would have immediately reset, and that’s not what I want. Not really. I want her to suffer first,  _ then _ reset and accept that she can never block my influence forever…

 

          Flowey did his best not to shudder at how Chara was treating this like a game she was in control of. Everyone was a pawn in her plans, and so was he.

 

FLOWEY

Okay, so how are we going to do that?

CHARA

Don’t ask so many questions. If I tell you everything, that’ll ruin it. I’m curious about your reaction, too, you know.

FLOWEY

Okay, fine. Who’s our next target, and what do you want me to do?

CHARA

Besides Genie, who’s the most vulnerable human you can think of right now?

FLOWEY

That Nick human is pretty weak, I think. He has this old lady that he takes care of, and she seems pretty close to him. Her name is Clover and she’s deaf. She can read lips, though. She’s also a florist in Goudenbloem.

CHARA

How adorable… I think you should shatter their friendship.

FLOWEY

What?

CHARA

She’s an old lady, Flowey… She’ll kick the bucket sooner or later, so why not now?

 

          Flowey’s petals drooped.

 

FLOWEY

B-But I’ll gain LoVe! 

 

          Chara sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

 

CHARA

I’ll go WITH you. I’LL be the one gaining LoVe. YOU will be the lookout.

FLOWEY

Oh... right. Of course!

 

         Flowey smiled nervously as he inwardly sighed in relief. He was relieved for two reasons. One was normal for him, but the other… not so much. He was relieved since he knew Sans would be the first person to know if he had gained LoVe with his Karma ability. He was also relieved because he actually didn’t want to kill Clover. That was a first for Flowey, who used to kill just because he could. Ever since Frisk took him in, he never felt the urge to kill anybody. At first, he chalked it up to the fact that the rule of, “kill or be killed,” was no longer relevant now that everyone was on the surface. However, over time, he began to realize that it was actually because he was… changing. Due to that realization, he actively avoided the subject of murder. He didn’t want to think about his changing perceptions of the world since it conflicted with what he was currently doing with Chara. So, he was relieved that Chara took the responsibility from him. His guilty feelings for planning to kill Clover were still nagging at him, though.

 

CHARA

My soul doesn’t dispose of the LoVe I've gained when I switch bodies, so I’ll be disposing this body as soon as we’re done.

 

          Flowey raised a curious brow at the mention of, “this body,” by Chara. If he hadn’t been paying attention, he would have thought she was talking about Clover. However, again, he didn’t want to anger her so he didn’t press on it… much.

 

FLOWEY

Wait, but what about that other kid you possessed? Their body..

CHARA

Oh, don’t worry about that. The night I was thrown into my new cell, I pretended to go to sleep. After an hour or so, I left the body I was possessing to go get the new one. Once I did, which is the one I’m inside now, I went back to the police station. I sat my new body down outside and possessed my old one again. Took out my knife and… well, you know what I did.

FLOWEY

There weren’t any security cameras outside? They must have seen you out there… “sitting” your new body outside.

CHARA

I took care of that… I possessed the officer that was watching my cell. When I possessed him, he was sleeping. I discovered something  _ exciting _ when I did that. He was unconscious, and so he stayed unconscious when I possessed him… He didn’t suspect a thing… probably felt like it was a dream! Of course, that DID give me a time limit. His soul was getting restless from the feeling of losing its control of its own body! Anyway, when I possess people, I’m able to gain access to their memories. Unfortunately, they can also gain access to mine, but it’s usually if I’m not careful… Luckily that didn’t happen. So, I was able to grab the password to the security system from his memories and use it to wipe out the security footage of that night. Sure, it’s suspicious that the footage outside suddenly cuts out around the time of my, “death,” but that’s not enough to make any sort of connections… at least I hope it doesn’t… that’d be an unfortunate mistake on my part… Whatever! This part of the run is new so mistakes are bound to happen. 

FLOWEY

Oh… That’s alright! But, you’re the one in control, after all! So I'm sure everything will turn out _exactly_ how you want it to.

CHARA

Nice save, Azzy…

 

          Chara was smiling calmly at Flowey. Flowey frowned in response. Of course Chara knew he was attempting to subtly press for more information. When he said nothing more, Chara shrugged, unfazed by his prodding.

 

CHARA

Well, anyway, I think this next project will be fun! We’ll do it soon. I have to rest after all those possessions… it’s really exhausting to do that to different souls in one day, it seems. I’ll also have to clean myself up so I can scope out Clover’s little shop without people getting suspicious. Dirty, homeless children are suddenly getting a bad wrap these days… Couldn’t imagine why.

 

            Flowey laughed nervously. He wanted to duck into the ground right then and there, but he couldn’t leave until Chara dismissed him. If he tried to beg her to let him go, she’d probably punish him for being a "crybaby.” 

 

CHARA

I don’t think I have anything else to talk to you about. Just keep an eye on everyone, especially Nick and Clover. Got it, Azzy?

FLOWEY

Got it.

CHARA

Perfect! You can go now.

 

          Flowey never ducked into the ground so fast in his life. It actually kind of hurt for a moment, but he ignored the pain. What he couldn’t ignore was Chara’s eerie laughter since she was amused by his quick departure. It was in the voice of the boy she was possessing, which made the sound even more frightening.

           He popped up right beside Toriel, who was panicking about Flowey running away and getting lost.

 

FLOWEY

HEY! I’M RIGHT HERE.

 

         Toriel gasped and whirled around and spotted Flowey at her feet.

 

FLOWEY

Sorry! Saw something REALLY cool so I just had to go check it out!

TORIEL

FLOWEY! Do not ever run off like that again, even if it's something very interesting!

 

         Flowey rolled his eyes and settled them on the bucket Toriel was carrying. It had the soil from his flower pot inside. 

 

TORIEL

Get in here, now.

 

        Toriel put the bucket down on the floor in front of him and Flowey squinted his eyes in disgust.

 

FLOWEY

Where did you get that thing? Do you even know what’s been in there?

TORIEL

I washed it. Get in.

 

          Flowey groaned in annoyance and climbed inside, settling his roots in the soft dirt. He stretched his stem so he could see past the bucket’s tall walls. Toriel called Frisk on her phone, letting Frisk know that she found him and to meet her back at Genie's room. Toriel carried Flowey as she met with Frisk, who was standing just outside the door. Tapping her foot and glaring at Flowey with disappointment, Frisk opened the door. She grabbed Flowey’s bucket and carried him inside. Toriel sighed and looked at Nick and Asgore, who were waiting for her to come back after she abruptly cut off their conversation to search for Flowey.

 

TORIEL

I apologize. That was rude of me, but we had an emergency. I found Flowey and sent him back to Genie’s room with Frisk.

NICK

Oh, it’s no problem at all! Glad you found him.

ASGORE

Yes, it is a relief that you were able to find Flowey.

TORIEL

Where did we leave off again?

NICK

Ah, yes, the Soul Statement. The Soul Statement, or SS for short, is a message that appears under the soul that describes how the owner of the soul is feeling. Only the examiner of the soul is able to see the message. The examiner could be someone who is trained to pull out souls, someone who is fighting the owner of the soul, or it could be the person’s soulmate.

TORIEL

I see… what could go wrong with it?

NICK

Well, several things. A normal SS is a coherent description of the owner’s feelings. An abnormal SS could be several things… There could be no SS, which could indicate that the soul is dying. There may be incoherent, jumbled mess of words, which could mean that the soul is corrupted and/or is functioning abnormally. Lastly, there could be something in the SS that isn’t normal for that soul. That last one is what I thought was happening to Genie…

ASGORE

Do you mean when you thought her SS said, “she’s starting to feel apathetic?”

NICK

Yes. As you probably already know, human souls aren’t like monster souls. We have one soul trait prescribed to each soul. In addition to a soul trait, each human soul contains determination. So, each human soul is  _ determined _ to continue exhibiting the soul trait it has. Genie is supposed to be  _ determined _ to  _ persevere _ . The opposite of perseverance is apathy. It is supposed to be impossible for Genie’s soul to feel apathetic.

TORIEL

But her soul said she felt apathetic, at least at first.

NICK

That’s why I’m concerned. She, according to animusology which is the study of souls, can’t feel apathetic with a soul trait of perseverance. However, the fact that her soul said she felt that way means that there is something wrong. Her soul looks normal, so it must be its functioning. I may have to call in our animusologist. She’s a soul doctor, in layman’s terms. She might know why that happened…

TORIEL

Hmm.. it seems like we really do need an expert on human souls to find out what's wrong.

NICK

Yeah… anyways, I told you all the different characteristics of a human soul and what could go wrong with them. I’m going to go get the animusologist, but would you like my number just in case you have any additional questions?

TORIEL

Oh, yes! Share it with Asgore too.

NICK

Sure!

 

          They all exchanged numbers and Nick said a quick farewell before heading towards the animusologist’s office. The hospital was busy as always. The night shift had been eventful, and was filled with car accident victims and people who partied just a bit too hard and got into all sorts of injuries. So, he had a lot to deal with during the day. From bruised bodies to a pole sticking out of someone's head, Nick had enough confidence to say he'd seen every horrific injury in one day then others would ever see in their lifetime. He was used to it. He's a registered nurse, after all!

          Finally, he arrived at the hospital's animusologist's office. The field was small and still growing, so there was only one animusologist in the entire hospital. Most medical problems rarely affected the human soul, so there weren't a lot of patient's with soul abnormalities... but, it was still a lot of work for one woman to handle. He poked his head into the office and gave a soft knock at the door. 

         The woman sitting at the desk inside swiveled around in her chair to look at him. She had dark, curly brown hair that reached down to her waist, dark brown eyes, and her skin was lightly tanned. She wore a multi-colored shirt. On the center of the shirt was the insignia of her profession. A white septagram with each type of human soul on each of the star's points. In the middle of the star was the Council of Magic's seal, called the Omicrune. There was a gold, circle frame that contained an image. Inside the circle, gold bars separated it into six sections which contained each Council members’ souls and the flowers that represented them.. On the intersection of the bars rested a red human soul with red amaryllis flowers inside of it. Inside the orange soul was orange gladiolus flowers, inside the yellow soul was yellow chestnut flowers, inside the green soul was green cherry blossoms, inside the light blue soul was light blue aster flowers, inside the blue soul was blue gladiolus flowers, and lastly, inside the purple soul was purple hydrangea flowers. She also wore black, formal pants and pointed heels.

          Nick was very familiar with human souls, but what he knew was nothing compared to her. Animusologists were taught and trained by the Magic Council themselves. He often witnessed animusologists when they would use their abilities. If there was anyone who would know what was wrong with Genie's soul, it was her.

 

NICK

Hello, Anela.

ANELA

Hey, Nick! It’s nice to see you. You look… exhausted.

NICK

It's been a long day. Anyway, take a look at this.

 

          Nick handed her his clipboard that was full of his observations of Genie's soul. She read it thoughtfully, and then looked at him quizzically. 

 

ANELA

Are you sure that's what you read?

NICK

Very sure.

ANELA

Nick, you know that's not-...

NICK

Not possible, I  _ know _ , but… I know what I read. Think you can check her soul?

 

          Anela shrugged.

 

ANELA

Sure. There's a first time for everything, in a field like this. Where is she?

NICK

She’s in a private recovery room. Room 404.

ANELA

Thank you, Nick. I'll head over now.

 

          Meanwhile,  Genie became aware of Flowey’s recent escape, and shook her head at him in mocking disappointment.

 

GENIE

Tsk, tsk... Next time you come over... I'm gonna make sure that... Luna watches your every move.

 

          Flowey bristled.

 

FLOWEY

KEEP THE FUR-BALL AWAY FROM ME.

 

          Sans snorted back a laugh. 

 

SANS

are ya actually scared of her cat?

 

          Flowey shrieked in offense.

 

FLOWEY

NO!?

SANS

ya sound… absolutely terrified.

FLOWEY

I'M. NOT. SCARED. OF. THAT. STUPID. CAT!!!

 

          After a brief silence, Toriel broke out in a fit of giggles.

 

TORIEL

Oh, goodness… he  _ is _ scared!

 

           Flowey groaned in frustration as everyone burst into laughter.

 

PAPYRUS

OH! THAT REMINDS ME. GENIE, WHERE DID YOU GET LUNA?

GENIE

Oh... I kind of tripped over her when she was about 5 months old. I found her on the sidewalk when Henna and I were on our way to a bar. I took her home that day! She's an outdoor/indoor cat. Why?

PAPYRUS

I… WOULD LIKE A PET CAT.

SANS

huh? ya want a pet of your own?

PAPYRUS

YES! YOU HAVE A PET ROCK, SO I WOULD LIKE A PET CAT

SANS

what about a dog?

PAPYRUS

NO! DOGS ARE VERY NICE, BUT… THEY LIKE TO STEAL MY BONE ATTACKS! I PREFER CATS.

PETE

Oh! Well, my mom was telling me that she had found a stray that was the mother to six kittens! My mom is going to keep two kittens, but the mother and the rest of the litter still need homes! You can come over and pick which kitten you want!

PAPYRUS

OH!!! SANS!!! CAN WE HAVE- **WHAT ARE YOU DRINKING?!**

 

          When Papyrus turned to face his brother, who was sitting right next to him, and found him nursing a ketchup bottle. The bottle was something Sans always kept in his hoodie for safe-keeping, and Papyrus utterly despised it. Papyrus put his hands on his hips and glared down at him like a parent would to their child. Sans gave him a cheeky grin in response.

 

PAPYRUS

THAT IS UNHEALTHY!!! PUT THAT AWAY!

GENIE

What is he drinking???

PAPYRUS

KETCHUP! HE ALWAYS KEEPS THEM HIDDEN IN HIS HOODIE SINCE HE THINKS HE'S SO VERY SNEAKY! UNDYNE, HELP ME TELL SANS-...!

 

          Papyrus was interrupted by Genie. A revelation just hit her.

 

GENIE

Is that why he smells like ketchup...?!

 

          Sans snorted a bit too loudly, unable to drink his ketchup in his fit of laughter. He set it on his lap as he gulped what he already drank down.

 

HENNA

Boy, that’s nasty.

PETE

Hey, let the man drink his condiments!

FRISK

But if we don’t stop him, it’ll  _ ketchup _ on him later!

 

          Toriel laughed, followed by some of the rest of the group. Even Papyrus and Undyne couldn’t help but share a smile and a shake of their heads. Papyrus crossed his arms as he looked down at Sans.

 

PAPYRUS

AS WONDERFULLY _HUMERUS_ -...

SANS

heh!

PAPYRUS

... -AS IT SEEMS TO YOU, SANS, YOU SHOULDN'T DRINK KETCHUP STRAIGHT FROM THE BOTTLE!

SANS

come on, bro, it's not a big deal...

 

          The sound of the door being opened drew everyone's attention. Anela walked in. She took one look at the monsters, who were the first people in the room that she noticed, and almost dropped the clipboard that she had been carrying with her. She had been so sucked into reading Genie's files, she had no idea she was about to be fact-to-face with  _ monsters. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How exciting!
> 
> ~.~.~
> 
> I live in Miami, FL, so hurricane Dorian has been taking a lot of my time due to hurricane preparations. I also moved this month, so that was hectic! I'm quite a bit behind in my writing (but definitely not anywhere near enough to cause a late update, not at all, so don't worry about that). Writing five chapters ahead gives me a lot of room to catch up whenever I get behind (thank goodness). Anyways, the plot is becoming more and more complicated, and so I need to really focus when I write so that the story runs smoothly... I'm actually excited by this! I've been writing a story map to prevent confusing myself with what plot-points go where, and it's so enjoyable to see how everything's going to turn out! Also, Part 3: Good Times has a bit more chapters than I initially planned for, so I'll adjust the initial summary of the fic that lists Part 3 as containing 5 chapters into more once I've definitively decided how many more chapters I want to add to Part 3. So, that's a small little change that you'll see at some point. 
> 
> This entire fic is a work-in-progress until every chapter has been posted and finalized. ★⌒(●ゝω・)ｂThanks for reading!


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